


The path not taken

by EvilCharmingFic (Regina4Ever), StrangeNewPike (Regina4Ever)



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Character Death, Major Character Injury, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:35:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 37,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25675195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Regina4Ever/pseuds/EvilCharmingFic, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Regina4Ever/pseuds/StrangeNewPike
Summary: On a rescue mission, Pike gets critically injured with a very slim chance of rescue. His life and legacy are recounted by the people who knew him best.Set after the events of Discovery Season 2
Relationships: Christopher Pike/Original Female Character, Christopher Pike/Vina
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	1. Prologue

_ Year 2401. Mojave, CA, Earth _

As the beam dissipated around her, the admiral felt the desert heat engulfed her. She had set foot on countless worlds, had visited planets that few could even dream of but she was always surprised by the desert heat. And despite what the Vulcans would lead anyone to believe, the desert of the southerwestern United States rivaled the Forge in its beauty and dangers. 

The heat was soothing her old bones and not for the first time lately, she thought about settling for her retirement. She shook her head and smiled at herself: the Federation needed her one more time. And probably the next time after that. She wasn’t one to settle down. 

The admiral readjusted her uniform before making her way towards the only structure present as far as the eyes could see. It was a small adobe reminiscent of early 21st century design, itself an imitation of the ranch houses standing before them. She was surrounded by pastures where Thoroughbred horses were grazing. It felt out of time, yet, if she was right, this adobe held the future of the Federation. 

As the admiral climbed the stairs leading to the porch, the front door opened, revealing a small woman in her thirties. Her hair was raven dark and her skin had been tanned by the relentless sun but the admiral recognized the sparkle in her deep blue eyes. She had been staring at them for the past week. The woman handed the admiral a small box. “I’ve been waiting for you,” she said without preamble. The admiral accepted the box with a slight frown. “She’d said you’d come.” The young woman offered as an only explanation.

The admiral opened the box carefully. At the bottom was a PADD of early 24th century design and the small statue of a horse. The admiral powered the PADD up and read the letter slowly, holding back her tears. Her eyes lingered a long time over the last words:  _ “...agonize over the path not taken.” _

After a long moment, the admiral put the PADD back in the box and looked at the younger woman. “Thank you.” This letter would save the Federation. The admiral would make sure of it. 


	2. Chapter 2

_ Stardate: 1872.49. Enterprise, in orbit around Upothas II _

_ Captain’s log, supplemental. We haven’t heard from the landing party for over eight hours. All talks with the native population have come to a dead end. They seem to possess the technology of 21st century Earth but not the sociological development to be expected of a space-faring civilization. A storm is set to sweep over the area in four hours. It is our last chance to retrieve the members of the Enterprise crew before then… _

_ “Bridge to Captain Pike!” _

Pike jumped slightly at Una’s voice. He hadn’t expected her on the bridge in the middle of the night. As he was about to chastesize her for pulling a double shift, his eyes caught the dim display in the corner of the screen. 0800 hours. He hadn’t slept. Again.

It had been almost a year since Discovery had left for the future. A year since he had known his own. A year full of sleepless nights. He could distract himself during the day easily. But at night, the visions he had on Boreth always came to haunt him. He had tried to dismiss them at first, almost convincing himself that this future couldn’t be real. No one could see the future. It wasn’t set in stone but shaped by every decision he’d ever made and would ever make. He had spent hours, laying in the dark, going over the incident, running every possible scenario in which he would save the cadets and himself. But his own arguments sounded hollow. Deep down, he knew that what the crystal had shown him would come to realize. It was only a matter of time, which Pike had decided to spend on his mission of exploration. This decision had led the Enterprise to Upothas II.

The Enterprise picked up a signal directed to outer space. As per protocol, they had investigated the technological level of the planet before entering the system. After all, Earth in the latter part of the 20th century had sent such signals in space, hoping for first contact. The Vulcans had waited for the first warp flight, now a standard first contact protocol throughout Federation space. 

But what they had managed to gather from scans of the planet had left his anthropology team perplexed, if not concerned. The signal was coming from a settlement near the highest mountains on the southern continent. However, the humanoid species living in the settlement were no more advanced than Middle Ages Europeans with access to more advanced technologies. As Dr. Kayla had expressed to him two days ago: “I very much doubt they know they’re broadcasting this signal. They barely know how to use the tools on their planet.”

Although it was an unusual situation, it wasn’t without precedents in the annals of Starfleet: displaced population from one world to the other who’s lost the know-how over generations, or, more concerning, an alien species giving the local population access to this technology. And it never ended well. Therefore, it was Starfleet’s duty to investigate the situation. Dr. Kayla had assembled a small landing party consisting of herself, another anthropologist on her staff, two engineers and at Pike’s insistence, two security officers. Enterprise had lost contact with the landing party within fifteen minutes of their arrival. Dr. Kayla’s last report made reference to some rocks, asking for a sample to be beamed back. The sample was currently in his most trusted science officer’s hands, but even Spock couldn’t fathom why Dr. Kayla had insisted on beaming a piece of limestone back. 

An hour later, the Enterprise had received a communication from the Council of Elders informing the Enterprise that its crew members had trespassed on sacred ground and would be sentenced to death in the morning. Since then, Pike had tried to reason with the Elders but to no avail. Their most sacred texts didn’t leave room for interpretation of their laws. As a Starfleet Captain, he was bound by the Prime Directive and its non-interference clause. But they had already interfered and he was bound to also respect the unspoken Starfleet promise: no one should be left behind. His crew was expecting a rescue and he would be damned if he wasn’t going to provide one. The transporters were out of the question: wherever his crew was being held, his chief engineer couldn’t get a lock on them. But if they were out in the open, he could have them beamed back to safety quickly. 

“Pike,” he answered tersely. 

_ “The Council is hailing us, Captain.” _

“Patch is through my reading room.” He ordered before running his hands over his face. He was exhausted but he needed all his acuity to get his crew out of their predicament. As soon as he heard the whistle signaling he was connected, Pike stood up and addressed his invisible interlocutor. “Elder, thank you for your time.”

“ _ Christopher _ ,” The voice started. “ _ You are hereby informed that your crew will be executed in one hour, as per our customs _ .”

Pike winced but held his tongue. “It is our customs to prepare our people before their death.” He said quickly. “Please, allow us to come to your village.”

The silence on the other end of the communication device was deafening. Establishing any rapport with the Elders had been difficult but Pike hoped he had made enough progress to send a rescue party to the planet. “ _ Very well, Christopher. _ ” The Elder finally relented. “ _ You will be allowed to prepare your people to meet the great V’r’ch _ ”. 

Pike let out a small breath of relief. “Thank you. We will be arriving in the next ten minutes.”

“ _ You are that close to our village? _ ” 

Pike didn’t miss the slight tremor in the Elder’s voice. They had evidence that the villagers could use electricity and they had managed to contact the Enterprise using the landing party’s communicators. But he couldn’t recall mentions of transportation besides horses and carriages.  _ Damn _ .  _ Stupid mistake.  _ Pike admonished himself. “We are close by.” He answered evasively.

The answer seemed to appease the Elder. “ _ Come to the South Gate. In the name of our sacred texts. _ ”

“In the name of our sacred texts.” Pike responded in kind. They didn’t know much about their culture but it had seemed to be the standard goodbye. Spock had hypothesized that different villages lived by different laws, much like 20th century Earth but that each village was held to their own laws and traditions. The Elder would allow the rescue party to enter the village because Pike had convinced him that he was living by a set of rules that would prevent him from interfering with the justice carried out in the village. 

As soon as the communication with the village terminated, Pike started an intra-ship call. “Pike to Boyce. I need one of your medical officers to meet me in the transporter room in five minutes.”

“ _ Acknowledged _ ,” came Boyce’s answer. 

“Pike to Lieutenant Spock. Meet me in the transporter room at once!” Spock’s answer was swallowed by the whooshing sound of his ready room’s doors. 

“You are not going down there.” Una crossed her arms across her chest. “I’ll lead the mission.”

“Not this one, Una.” Pike opened a drawer to retrieve his phaser, a tricorder, and a small emergency rations pack. 

“Chris, I’m not letting you go down there. Not in this state.”

The captain turned around, angry at his First Officer. “I’m fine.” 

“You haven’t slept in days. If not months. You’re irritable and far more reckless than usual.”

“You’re out of bounds, Commander!” He yelled back at her.

“Am I?” She asked in a calm tone, contrasting with the state her captain was in. Whatever had been bothering Chris for most of the year was literally eating at him. Boyce had tried many times to have Pike report for a thorough psychological evaluation but the captain had managed to weasel himself out of every appointment. Frankly, they were both concerned and if it were not for their loyalty to their captain, they would have reported Pike’s erratic behavior to Starfleet Command months ago.

Pike took a deep breath before answering his first officer. “It’s a first contact mission. It falls under the Captains’ prerogative.”

Una shook her head. “It’s a lie and you know it.”

“I need to do this.” Pike started in a more conciliatory tone. “I’ll be careful.”

Una assessed her captain quickly. There was no point in trying to change his mind and risking antagonizing him further. Truth be told, he was a far better diplomat than she was, even in his current frame of mind. “Fine. But under one condition. Once you’re back, you’re reporting to sickbay for that evaluation. Or Boyce will have no choice but to relieve you from command.”

“I promise.” He answered sincerely. At the very least, Boyce could prescribe him some sedatives. As much as he hated to admit it, Una was right. He needed to sleep. Enterprise deserved her captain at his best, not the shell he had become. “Have three security officers meet me in the transporter room.” He added before jogging towards the nearest turbolift.

Una sighed in frustration. She had a bad feeling forming at the pit of her stomach. It took all of her self control not to alert Boyce and have Pike taken to sickbay. “ _ Una to Boyce. I’m on my way to you. We need to talk. _ ”

\-------

When Pike entered the transporter room, Spock and three security officers were going over weapons and their survival kits. Would the operation not work out as expected, the kits would allow the landing party to survive for up to two weeks on the planet. 

One of the new science officers whose name escaped Pike at the moment was handing out long tunics, replicas of the natives’ clothing. Pike grabbed his and started going over his own supplies. 

“Captain!” Lieutenant Br’tar greeted. Originally from Mason III, he was built like a literal brick wall. His species' skin had evolved to withstand the harsh glass winds on their planet. The higher gravity on Mason III also contributed to its inhabitants' unusual strength. There were few Masonians in Starfleet, but all of them were in security. 

“Lieutenant.” Pike answered back. Ensigns Landais and Johnson completed the away team. Freshly arrived on the Enterprise at their last stop, the young ensigns had already proven that they could be relied upon and Pike felt a sense of relief at having them on the landing party. Una may not have approved of his choice to lead the mission but she had made sure they had a fighting chance. 

The doors opened to let the medical officer in, the last member of the landing party. Pike clenched his jaw as soon as he saw Dr. Alathea Mayweather. He shouldn’t be surprised at Boyce’s choice. After all, Mayweather had joined the Enterprise for precisely these kinds of mission. She was a field expert, ready to administer first aid on the ground. But he was nonetheless angry at his friend for selecting this particular field doctor. 

Without so much as a greeting, Pike put on his tunic and climbed onto the left pad. The security team followed behind him, their hands discreetly on their phasers. Sensing the tension in the room, Spock chose the middle pad, buffering the air between his captain and their doctor. 

Hiding her emotions under a mask that would have made a Vulcan proud, Alathea took the last spot, trying her best not to have a look at Pike. The bags under his eyes and his irritability confirmed what little Boyce had told her over the comms. The captain hadn’t slept in days. She implicitly trusted Pike to lead this mission with his usual professionalism but if Boyce didn’t relieve him from command after this mission was over for a complete psychological workup, she would do it herself.

“Energize.” Pike ordered the ensign standing behind the transporter’s console. 

They materialized seconds later on the path leading to the south gate of the village. “Br’tar, Mayweather, you’re with me. Spock, Landais, Johnson, establish an escape route for transport.” Pike ordered. He wasn’t about to expose this culture to transporter technology if he could avoid it.

“Aye, Sir.” The officers answered. 

Alathea looked at the snowy mountains and the storm brewing above them. “How long do we have?”

“About three hours.” Spock responded. “Two to be safe.”

Alathea nodded at the science officer. “Hopefully, we’ll be out in one.” She added before following the captain and the security officer towards the village.

“What’s your strategy?” She asked as she came behind Pike.

“None of your concern. You’re here to provide medical assistance, if required.”

Alathea rolled her eyes. This man was not the Christopher Pike she had known. “It would help follow your lead if we know what your lead actually is.” She hissed back. She was treading on thin ice considering the captain’s mood but several lives were at stake. And right now, she couldn’t fathom why Number One hadn’t led this mission.

Biting another remark, Pike answered. “We’ll tell them that our rituals require preparation in the sun. Once the science party is out, we will try to make a run for it. If we can’t, we’ll have Enterprise transport us back from the village.”

Alathea nodded. It was a risky plan but the only one available to them. “Alright, I’m assuming you will be speaking to them about our newfound religious movement.”

Pike rolled his eyes sideways, a familiar gesture to show his amused annoyance. “Unless you want to do the honor.” he gave her the ghost of a smile.

Alathea threw her hands in the air. “Oh no! I wouldn’t want to miss the show.” Although Chris’ father had been the one teaching her comparative religion, she knew Pike himself was an atheist. It was one thing to provide a critique of religions, yet another to create one out of thin air.

“Hold!” They were ordered by the sentinels at the gate.

Pike raised his hands up and encouraged his party to do the same. “We were invited by your Elders.”

The man closest to them approached them slowly, his bow and arrow pointed at Pike. “Follow us.” He finally said, leading the way inside the village.

The landing party couldn’t have been less prepared for what they saw. It was an eclectic composition of early 20th century technology of cars mixed with horses and carriages. Some villagers had bows and arrows like the guard they were following while others carried guns. The plain clothes they were wearing contrasted sharply with the more elegant dresses and suits worn by the women and men in the combustion vehicles. 

Pike bit his lower lip. They hadn’t been able to scan the village effectively. Whatever stone they were using disrupted their scans. Most of their knowledge about the planet had come from the isolated homes in the fields. And clearly, they were only telling one side of the story. Pike and Br’tar exchanged a concerned look. Could they even beam out from inside the village? They had originally thought that the interference would only be problematic inside the structures but not in the open areas. The fact that they had missed this important facet of the planet’s civilization told them that their hypothesis was wrong. 

Pike’s fears were confirmed a few minutes later as they entered a large plaza at the center of which his first landing party had been kept. They had been out in the open and Enterprise hadn’t been able to pick up their life signs. The landing party wouldn’t be able to beam back unless they clear the village. Pike closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Greetings.” He addressed who he believed to be the Council of Elders.

“And greetings to you, Christopher.” The Elder pointed to the landing party. “You are now authorized to prepare your people for their death.”

Alathea waited for her captain to make the first move. But Pike hadn’t expected this turn of events. There was no plan B and Chris was far too exhausted to think quickly on his feet. “Elder,” she began, “May I approach the prisoners?”   


“You may do so…”   


“Alathea.” She supplied. 

“You may do so, Alathea.”

The doctor approached Dr Kayla and kneeled in front of her on the ground. She took the woman’s hands in her own and placed her forehead on hers, as if in a prayer. “Run.” Dr. Kayla said between clenched teeth. “I know why you’re here. You cannot save us.”

Alathea closed her eyes and took a steadying breath. The anthropologist was right. If they acted, all nine of them would die. “Can you run? If we cause a distraction, can you run?”

The doctor shook her head. “We haven’t had food nor water since they’ve taken us. Please save yourself.”

Alathea squeezed the woman’s hands. “It is not my decision to make.” The doctor stood slowly and shook her head in Pike’s direction. The captain blinked once.

Pike could hear his own blood rushing through his veins. The adrenaline had finally kicked in. He had to save them. All of them. No one would be left behind. Without thinking, he took out his phaser and aimed for the chains. “RUN” He ordered before firing.

Alathea and Dr. Kyala exchanged a look of pure terror. They had no chance to make it out alive. But Alathea was already pulling the anthropologist to her feet and pushing her towards the crowd. “Go!” She ordered before taking out her own phaser. She freed two more of the prisoners before setting it on stun and redirecting it towards the guards.

She slowly backed towards Pike and Br’tar. If they formed a circle, they had a fighting chance. The three Starfleet officers continued firing at the guards, hoping that the panic their little demonstration had caused would give Dr. Kayla and her team enough time to escape the village and find Spock. 

_ What had Chris been thinking? _ She tried to keep these thoughts for her mind but the anger was fueling her. She heard gunshots in the background but ignored them. All that mattered was to stun as many as possible.  _ One at a time. Forget everything else. _ She kept repeating to herself.

A piercing scream brought her back to reality. She felt Chris collapse behind her and Br’tar pushing the captain in-between them. Although the bullets could definitely pierce his skin, he was immune to the arrows. “We have to go!” He yelled at the doctor. “We can’t fight this.” Without waiting for Alathea’s response, he took the captain in a firearm embrace and ran in the direction they’d come in, firing his phaser in every direction. The doctor was right behind him, trying to assess Chris’ medical situation. He was barely conscious and his leg wound was bleeding profusely. She hoped that the bullet hadn’t shattered an artery but there was not much she could do for her captain at the moment. Instead, she focused her energy on keeping up with the Masonian and firing her own weapon at the guards. 

Once outside, Br’tar led them towards the mountains, hoping that they could find a cave in which to take shelter from the oncoming storm and the wrath of the villagers. They climbed for the better part of an hour before Alethea collapsed on the knee-deep snow. “Br’tar!” she called. “We need to find shelter. It’s too cold for us.”

The security guard nodded. His tough skin was protecting him from the cold but his human companions would soon suffer from hypothermia. Besides, the captain needed medical attention. He scanned the area quickly. “Up here!” He pointed. “A cave.”

Alathea had no choice but to trust him. She could barely keep her eyes open in the wind. “Let’s go!” For a brief instant, she wondered what had happened to the rest of the landing party. Not that it mattered for now. All she could hope for is that they had found Spock and were safely back onboard Enterprise.

\-------

“Una to Captain Pike!” Number One called again. “Captain Pike, come in!” She exchanged a quick glance at Boyce.

“Una, it’s over. All we can hope for is that they’ve found refuge from the storm.” The doctor looked at his screen displaying the massive system settling over the area. “We can’t beam them back and no one could land a shuttle in this.”  _ Not even Chris _ . He added to himself.

“This storm is going to be over the area for a week!” She should have insisted on being the one leading the mission. She should be down there.


	3. Chapter 3

_ Year 2217. Mojave, CA, Earth.  _

“It’s spider freak!” The bigger boy elbowed his friend in the ribs, beckoning him to look at their newest victim. Christopher turned around and smirked when he saw the new girl at school walking towards their first period. If anyone could call her movements walking. Rather, she looked like a disarticulated doll with strings. Except that in this case, the strings were a metal exoskeleton, which had earned her the name of ‘spider freak’.

Although Christopher’s friends bullied the girl based on her carapace, as they called it, his resentment ran deeper. For three years, he had been hailed as the brightest student to have ever attended Mojave High. He was expected to enter Starfleet Academy as a top recruit. His academic record was only matched by his athletic prowess: captain of the football team, Christopher Pike had led his team to three consecutive national titles. But the new girl was about to change his legacy: she was a prodigy, who had stolen the spotlight from him. And he couldn’t bear the thought to not be the best.

Chris slammed his locker shut and ran towards the elevator, blocking the girl’s path. “Hello!” He greeted with a wicked smile on his face. He hadn’t had much time to think about the games he would play with her today.

“Please, let me pass,” she begged, knowing full well where this encounter would lead. The four boys had tormented her since her arrival in this town. She wanted to go back home. She wanted to see her parents. She cried herself to sleep every night, hoping that the nightmare would be over. But every morning, she woke up to the hard reality of her current situation. These boys were just another pain in her long suffering. 

“Well, and what are you up to today, freak? More chemistry or biology?” Chris’ best friend asked.

“Why do you want to know?” She tried to circumvent the boys but they were bigger and definitely stronger than she was. 

“So we can find you later on.” Chris let the threat hang in the air.

The school’s bell rang and the girl tried to slip in between Christopher and his friends but the big boy caught her arm and shoved her aside. She fell on the floor and cried out in pain.

“Christopher Pike!” A shiver ran down his spine. “Come with me immediately!” The supervisor said. Turning his attention to Alathea, he helped the girl to his feet. “Are you alright? We need to take you to the infirmary.” He tried to look at the exoskeleton but she shoved his hand aside.

“I’m fine.” She argued back, tears filling up her eyes.

“We need to get you checked out. And we need to call your father.” Her cheeks were hot from shame. This would have never happened in her previous life. She hated the supervisor. She hated Christopher Pike and his friends. But most of all, she hated the man who called himself her father. “As for you, young man, your father will be very disappointed.”

Chris’ friend exchanged a panicked look with him. If Chris told the truth about who had been responsible for the altercation, he would be suspended. But Chris held his tongue. As the leader of their band, he took full responsibility for all of their actions.

\--------

Based on his academic record, the principal had simply sent Chris home for the day with a stern warning to stay clear of Alathea Mayweather, the adoptive daughter of Admiral Mayweahter, himself the grandson of the NX01 pilot. But if the school had been lenient, Chris knew his father would be less so. Chris and his father hadn’t been able to see eye-to-eye for over a year. His mother attributed the estrangement to Chris’ adolescence but the teeneager knew the schism ran deeper. 

His mother had picked him up from school and as they were driving towards their two-story ranch house on the outskirts of town, Chris couldn’t help but wonder what punishment his father had in mind. No matter what it was, it couldn’t be as bad as the humiliation he would face upon his return to school. It was Alathea’s fault. And she would pay for it. 

“Your father is waiting for you in the barn.” His mother said flatly, as she parked in the driveway. She was disappointed in her son but she couldn’t help but feel responsible for Chris’ behavior. Her husband had always expected their son to be perfect at everything. Second place wasn’t in her husband’s vocabulary. And the constant pressure had changed Chris.

Chris shrugged. “So let me guess: I’ll have to muck the stalls by hand today?” Chris scoffed. He was looking forward to some time alone anyway. Without waiting for his mother’s answer, Chris got out of the vehicle and made his way towards the barn. As promised, his father was inside, in deep conversation with the farrier. 

When he noticed Chris, Pike Sr. motioned for his son. But where Chris had expected anger, he could only see disappointment in his father’s eyes. “Come with me.” Pike Sr. made his way towards the back of the barn where his private office was located. The room was as confusing to Chris as the owner himself was. Religious books were piled on top of science publications and statues representing various deities were laying next to an old-fashioned microscope and a chemistry kit. The furniture was of southwestern design but modernized for comfort. “Sit.” Pike Sr. motioned to a chair facing his desk. Chris plopped himself into the seat and crossed his arms defiantly. 

His father ignored him for the longest time, rummaging through his office. Once he finally found what he was looking for at the bottom of a drawer, Pike Sr. turned around to face his son, hiding the object from sight. “I’ve talked to your principal and Admiral Mayweather.”

“So, what? I can apologize on Monday.” Chris rolled his eyes. “It’s not like she got hurt.”

Pike Sr. ignored his son. “Admiral Mayweather told me that it’s not the first time that you’ve bullied Alathea. He originally decided to give you a chance to correct your actions but this had gone too far. I agree.”

“She fell down after running into us! It’s not like she’s steady on her legs to begin with! She should be the one apologizing.”

Pike Sr. exhaled heavily. He had hoped to see an ounce of remorse in his son. After so many hours teaching Chris about the religions of the Federation, he had hoped that his son would have retained their main message. “Do you know where Alathea comes from?”

“She’s human.” Chris answered.

“Yes. She was actually born in San Francisco. Her parents were terraformers. Shortly after her birth, they moved to Andlanca II, a planet near the Klingon border. The Federation wanted to build an outpost there. The planet's low gravity was essential for medical research.”

_ That would explain the exoskeleton. _ Chris thought.

“Since Alathea grew up on Andlanca II, her bones never strengthened like they would have on Earth.” His father confirmed. He paused, giving Chris an opportunity to ask questions. But when his son remained stubbornly silent, Pike Sr. continued. “Two years ago, the Klingons threatened the colony. Claimed it was in Klingon’s territory. Under normal circumstances, the Federation would abandon the outpost rather than risk a conflict with the Klingons but the research pursued there was too important so Admiral Mayweather was sent to negotiate a peace treaty.” Pike Sr. shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Let’s just say it didn’t go well. The Klingons attacked. Alathea and three other children were the only survivors of a colony of a thousand souls.” Chris tightened his fists. He didn’t understand why the Federation had not yet retaliated against the Klingons. “The other children were placed with family members but Alathea has no family left. So the admiral became her guardian. She spent the first six months in the old international space station, in lower gravity. Mayweather tried to contract other low gravity worlds but no one was willing to take on an orphaned child. So he came to me.”

“To you?” Chris frowned.

“Before moving to Mojave and becoming a teacher, I worked at the Daystrom Institute.” Chris’ eyes widened in surprise. Being employed at the Institute was an honor. Why would his father ever leave? Unless he was forced to. Perhaps because of his unnatural penchant to mix science and religion. “My specialty was in robotics.”   


“You worked on the skeleton-thing she’s wearing!” Chris exclaimed.

Pike Sr. nodded. “It generates an anti-gravity field. The idea is to ease Alathea back to normal gravity. She’s young enough that, combined with bone treatment, she should one day be able to function like you and I in a normal gravity environment.” He grabbed the object from the drawer and showed it to his son. “I made a few prototypes.” He explained. “Stand up.”

Chris’ eyes widened in fear but he held his tongue. His father was holding the same device Alathea wore everyday and Chris didn’t have to use his imagination to know what his father had in mind. “Stand up!” Pike Sr. ordered more firmly.

Swallowing hard, Chris did as he was told and bit his lower lip hard as his father adjusted the contraption on him. Once he was done, Pike Sr activated the device and Chris felt a sudden heaviness. His father increased the setting until his legs buckled from underneath him. He fell heavily to the ground, unable to move. He was afraid his bones would be crushed under the added weight. “This is what Earth’s gravity would feel like for Alathea now, without her exoskeleton.” His father explained. All Chris could manage was a few squirms and moans. “But she’s refusing to wear it again because of what you boys put her through.” 

Chris tried to fist his hand but the effort was too great. He moaned. Pike Sr. readjusted the device. “This is what it feels like for her now.” Chris managed to sit up with great effort. By the time he was resting against the chair he had occupied mere moments earlier, he was drenched in sweat. It wasn’t as painful as the first bone-crushing experience but it was definitely hurting. “Why Chris?” His father finally asked. “I thought I’d raised you better than this.”

“You taught me to be the best.” The teenager managed to articulate through the weight on his chest. He winced at the effort. “She’s getting As in every subject. She will be Starfleet’s top pick when we graduate.”

Pike Sr. sighed. “Has it occurred to you that maybe she doesn’t want to be in Starfleet? Or that even if you somehow bullied her into not getting As, YOU would NOT get in? Starfleet has no use for a know-it-all! It was founded on the principles of service, sacrifice, compassion, and love. Qualities you are thoroughly lacking! I’m sorry I’ve failed you, Christopher.” His father looked at his son with pity in his eyes and to Chris, it was worse than any other punishment. “Help John with the stalls. I’ll see you at dinner.” His father exited the office, leaving Chris on the floor, trapped.

\------

The silence was heavy around the dinner table. Chris knew that his parents were utterly disappointed in him. After he had mucked the stalls wearing the harness, he had all but crawled back to the main house where Pike Sr. had finally freed his son. Chris knew he would feel the effects for the next few days. His muscles were more sore than after any of his football games. 

“You are to stay at the house tomorrow.” His father finally said when his mother served his favorite dessert, an apple pie. “You’ll go up with us to fix the fences on the northern edge of the property.” 

“Father, I was hoping I could ride out to Admiral Mayweather’s ranch.” Chris locked eyes with his father. “To apologize.”

Pike Sr. nodded once. “I let the admiral know to expect you.”

\-------

Chris slowed Tango to a trot as he approached the Mayweather mansion. Like all the homes in Mojave, it was built in the southwestern style of the early twenty-first century but it dwarfed all other houses built within a hundred miles. Chris tied Tango’s reins to the wooden fence and made sure his friend would be comfortable before making his way towards the front door. Before he could knock, a petite woman in her 60s opened it and mentioned for the boy to enter the large foyer. Chris welcomed the soothing coolness of the air conditioned home. Despite the fact that it was a little after 9am, the outside temperature had already reached 33C. 

“Come on in.” She said cheerily. “The children are in the back.” 

“Thank you, Mrs Mayweather.” Chris was relieved that the admiral hadn’t answered himself. He had already disappointed his father. He wasn’t ready to see the same disappointment in the admiral’s eyes. After Chris had expressed interest in Starfleet, the admiral had arranged for a tour of the Academy and the shipyard. 

Mrs Mayweather led them towards the backyard where her children were playing in the large swimming pool. Well, almost all of her children. Fully clothed in a jumpsuit despite the heat, Alathea was lying in a lounger, alone. Chris felt a pang of guilt tugged at his heart. She couldn’t even enjoy the simple pleasure of splashing in water on a warm desert day. “Thea, Chris is here to see you.”

Alathea tore her dark brown eyes from her book long enough to look at Chris. After her adoptive father had told her to expect Christopher Pike in the morning, she had wanted to scream. She didn’t want an apology. She just wanted to be left alone. Apparently, it was too much to ask. 

“I’ll leave you two alone.” Mrs Mayweather added after Alathea had ignored her visitor. “Chris, would you like anything to drink?”

“No. Thank you, Mrs Mayweather.” 

The woman excused herself.

Chris’ eyes lingered over Alathea’s exoskeleton. He knew how painful it felt and he wished he could take all the pain he had put Alathea through away. Uncomfortable under his gaze, the girl covered her body with her towel, snapping Chris back to reality. “I’m sorry.” He blurted out. He closed his eyes. “I’m sorry for staring at you and I’m sorry for what I did to you… at school.”

“Apology accepted.” The girl answered mechanically. “Now, can you leave me alone?”

Chris tentatively sat down on the lounger next to Alathea, to her annoyance. “Look, I know that what we did to you is inexcusable. And I’m… glad that we didn’t hurt you yesterday.”

“You came here so you could feel better about yourself.” Alathea interrupted. “You have. Now, please leave. Go back to your friends. Just. leave. me. alone.”

Chris swallowed. “Listen, I can’t pretend to know what you’re going through. But I think you can use a friend.”

Alathea scoffed. “You? You want to be my friend? It’s not my job to make you feel better about yourself. You have EVERYTHING! Your parents. Your friends. Your world! Just leave me alone!” Her screams alerted Mrs Mayweather.

“What’s going on?” She asked as she jogged towards them. The other children had stopped playing in the pool and all eyes were on Chris and Alathea.

“I think I should go.” Chris stood up. “I’m sorry, Alathea.” He added before running towards the front door.

As he was about to leave, a booming voice resonated through the foyer. “Chris! Wait!”

The voice stopped Chris in his tracks. He slowly turned around to face Admiral Mayweather. The man’s large stature would make any cadet tremble in fears. And Chris was no different. “Your father told me you came to apologize. That it was your idea.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Thank you. It means a lot. Alathea…” His eyes lingered over the patio. “She can be stubborn at times.”

“She’s been through a lot.”

“She has. And she could really use a friend.”

Chris responded with a cautious smile. “I don’t think she wants me as her friend, sir.”

“Sometimes the friends we need are not necessarily the ones we want.” The admiral placed his hand on Chris’ shoulder. He wasn’t talking about Alathea but forcing Chris to rethink his own friendships. “Go home, son. Your father is probably wondering where you are. And I don’t want to get you into more trouble than you already are.”

“Thank you, sir.” Chris almost saluted the admiral before making his way towards Tango.

\---------

Admiral Mayweather smiled as Christopher Pike galloped up his driveway the following morning with another horse in tow. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon.” He greeted him.

“Is it ok if I talk to your daughter?” Chris asked as he dismounted.

“She’s in the living room.” 

Chris could hear laughter coming from the backyard and immediately realized that this was one more activity Alathea could not partake in. Chris tied both horses in the shade and loosened the cinch. “Thank you, sir.” Chris followed the admiral towards the back of the house where Alathea was propped on several pillows, reading. Her long black hair was tied up in a ponytail, resting on her right shoulder. She was wearing a t-shirt and shorts under her exoskeleton and Chris couldn’t help but notice the bruises marking her olive skin. The same bruises that marked his own skin after using the exoskeleton were a direct result of the effect of gravity on the blood vessels.

“Thea, Chris is here to see you.”

This time, Alathea seemed genuinely surprised. “What are you doing here?” She asked in lieu of a greeting. 

“I noticed the horses on your towel yesterday… and I was wondering if you wanted to go for a ride?”

Alathea looked at her adoptive father expectantly. “May I go?” She had asked for lessons since she’d arrived in Mojave but her parents had been reluctant. 

“I promise, Mary Lou is the gentlest mare.”

Admiral Mayweather considered the request. On the one hand, he was concerned with a potential fall in this gravity. On the other hand, Alathea had begged them for lessons for a year. She wasn’t physically able to participate in many sports but horseback riding wasn’t exactly prohibited. Besides, it would be good for her to be with kids her own age for a while. And contrary to his recent behavior, Mayweather knew that Chris was a good kid. “Ok.” he finally said, to the girl’s excitement. “But walk only.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story! Please let me know what you think. Not sure how often I'll be able to update but I'm hoping every month or so.


	4. Chapter 4

#  Chapter 3

_ Stardate: 1873.23. Enterprise, in orbit around Upothas II _

_ Acting Captain’s log. We have lost contact with the captain for the past 3 hours. Our attempts to lock onto our people have remained unsuccessful. Whatever has rendered our scanners ineffective on the village seems to be affecting the entire region. Lieutenant Spock and the rest of the landing party have taken refuge from the storm in the caves at the foot of the mountain. According to the ship’s meteorologist, temperatures will drop as low as -20C in the next few hours. All we can do is hope that the captain and the rest of the landing party are still safely inside the village. Our repeated hails to the village have been unanswered. Mr Garison has assured me that the storm should not affect our communication and we are left to speculate that the Council is refusing to talk to us.  _

Una was spacing the captain’s ready room furiously, blaming herself for letting Chris lead this mission. He wasn’t in the right state of mind and he, along with eight other crew members, were being held captive. And this was the best case scenario. She wasn’t ready to think about the worst.

The door chime surprised Number One. “Enter,” she stuttered but the computer recognized her command and the doors opened to reveal an exhausted-looking Dr. Boyce.

“Doctor?” 

“Spock, Landais, and Johnson should be ok in the cave until the storm passes. Landais suffered a minor sprain when they fled but nothing the portable regen unit couldn’t fix,” the doctor reported. “Any news from Chris and the rest of the landing party?”

Una sighed heavily and shook her head no. “I should have never let him go down there. I knew something was wrong…”

“Una, stop,” the doctor interrupted, placing a comforting hand on Number One’s shoulder. “This is not on you. I’ve known something is wrong with the captain for some time. And I cleared him for duty.”

Una placed her own hand on top of Boyce’s. She allowed herself to take solace in the slight touch before returning to the matter at hand. She needed a better understanding of the situation. “What’s the history between the captain and Dr. Mayweather?” Boyce seemed taken aback by the question. “Come on, Phil! There are dozens of field medics you could have chosen from but you chose her. Married women don’t embark on a deep-space 5-year mission without their husbands. And even Spock could feel the tension between her and the captain when she beamed aboard.” 

Boyce sat on the leather couch in the captain’s ready room and motioned for Una to do the same. “It’s a long story.”

“And I need to know whether she can handle the situation.”

“Thea is probably the only person who can help Chris,” Boyce acknowledged. “They’ve known each other since they were teenargers in Mojave and probably have been in love with each other since then.” Una raised an eyebrow at the comment but before she could ask any questions, Boyce continued. “Alathea Mayweather is one of the only survivors from the Andlanca II massacre.”

Una nodded. As a starfleet officer, she had studied the failed diplomatic mission and the ramifications of the lost medical research that had been conducted there. “Wait, this was a low-gravity world. How is she even walking on a starship?”

“This is how I first met Thea. Admiral Mayweather had adopted her two years prior and with the help of his friend, Josh Pike, created an exoskeleton to remove the burden of gravity on her body. The contraption worked to some extent but it was leaving Thea with chronic pain. Her father brought her to the Adie Institute in San Francisco. I was an intern there working under Dr. Aggarwal.”

The doctor didn’t have to tell Una who Dr. Aggarwal was. He had been praised as a visionary until his methods had been exposed. “Was she…” Una couldn’t bring herself to ask the question.

“One of his experiments? Yes.” Boyce paused. “Albeit one of his successes. The treatment he put her through worked but it confined her to bed for six months. Most of them spent in excruciating pain.” The doctor walked to the replicator. One of the captain’s privileges, he mused. “Coffee, black.” He wanted something stronger but he needed to stay clear headed.

With his back turned to Una, he continued. “All of us knew he should have been stopped but no one dared defy Aggarwal. So we went along. I’m not proud of this part of my life…”

“Obviously, she isn’t holding it against you.”

“That’s because I did defy him. In a small way. I arranged for Chris to be able to sneak into her room in the evenings. He tutored her after school so she wouldn’t fall behind. But most importantly, he took her mind off the treatments and the grueling physical therapy.” Una couldn’t help but smile. It sounded like Chris:  _ Nobody gets left behind. _ “He was instrumental in her recovery.”

“So they were high school sweethearts?”

Boyce shook his head. “They’ve never gone on a date. They didn’t want to risk ruining their friendship but she’s been in his life one way or another since they’ve first met in Mojave.” The doctor turned around to face his commanding officer. “And as you said yourself, she left her husband on Earth to go on a five-year mission aboard Enterprise. All I had to say is that Chris needed her.”

Una closed her eyes, unsure whether Mayweather and Pike’s history would ameliorate the situation on the ground. “You think Chris will listen to her?”   


Boyce nodded. “At this point, she might be the only person he’s willing to listen to.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a comm from the bridge.  _ “Commander,” _ came Garison’s voice, “ _ Mister Spock for you.” _

“Patch him through!” Una ordered, putting her conversation with Boyce aside for the moment. “Mister Spock, report!” She barked as soon as she heard the faint whistle signaling the comm switch. 

_ “Commander, the caves are not natural,” _ the science officer reported at once.  _ “They seem to be part of an old, large bunker. Most of the tunnels have collapsed but we are presently in what looks like the command center.” _

Una frowned at the unexpected turn of events. “The command center of what?”

_ “Unknown at this time. I will call back upon further investigation. Spock…” _

“Lieutenant,” Boyce interrupted, “any words from the captain and the rest of the away team?”

_ “No, doctor,”  _ Spock answered in a flat tone devoid of any emotional trace.  _ “If I had, I would have led my report with this information. Spock out.” _

Boyce pinched the bridge of his nose, murmuring a few insults to himself. Una refrained from smiling. Integrating Spock into the crew had been difficult at first, but despite his lack of emotions -or rather emotional display; Una knew enough about Vulcans to understand the fine line they walked- Spock had proven an essential member of this crew. And if the presence of Mayweather at the captain’s side served to reassure Boyce, Spock’s presence on the planet definitely calmed her nerves.

“The Council members never mentioned those caves,” she recalled loudly. 

“How is that relevant?”

“According to Spock’s first report, the caves are located on the other side of the sacred ground. Maybe the villagers don’t even know about them!” She said excitedly. “Doctor, it means that if all of our people made it to the cave complex, they may be safe from attacks!”

“Una, there is one problem.” Boyce hated to point out the obvious. “The villagers never mentioned them but our scans never picked up what Spock describes as an extensive system. If our scanners can’t penetrate the rocks, we can’t beam our people aboard, even after the damn storm passes.”

“One problem at a time, doctor.” Una answered, frustrated. 

\---------

Alathea fought to keep up with Br’tar in worsening weather conditions. She glanced at Pike, still unconscious across the Masonian shoulders. His skin was deathly pale and his lips were tinted blue. They needed to find shelter immediately if Chris was going to survive. 

“Br’tar! Pick up the pace!” She ordered, fighting to keep her legs moving.

As soon as they entered the cave, Br’tar gently lowered the captain to the ground. Alathea collapsed next to him and pulled out her medical tricorder. She winced at the readings: hypothermia wasn’t the most pressing issue. The bullet had shattered on impact and one of the fragments was lodged inside Chris’ femur. If Pike were to survive this, she would have to remove it and hope that the antibiotics in her emergency medkit would be sufficient to stave off the infection. 

Satisfied that the doctor and captain were relatively safe for the time being, Br’tar made his way deeper into the cave, on the lookout for potential threats. There was something about this place that didn’t sit well with him but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. As he was about to walk deeper into the bowel of the mountain, Alathea’s frustrated cry made him turn around. “Are you ok?” He ran towards her, stopping a few feet away from where she was hunched over on the floor. 

“One of the bullets shattered the hypospray and vials.” She held the broken device for his inspection. “The liquid damaged everything in the medkit. I can’t help him!”

Br’tar’s heartbeat increased at the news. He flipped his communicator and hoped that the cave offered enough protection from the storm for him to reach the ship. “Br’tar to Enterprise!”

_ “Lieutenant, report!” _ Una’s voice resonated through the cave. Br’tar appraised his commanding officer of their situation, recounting as much as he could the events leading to them taking refuge in the cave and their precarious situation. All were saddened to hear that none of the crew members from the original away team were accounted for. Their mission had been a complete failure.  _ “What is the captain’s medical condition?” _

Alathea recognized the voice as Boyce’s and grabbed the communicator, answering quickly. “Phil, the bullet shattered in three main pieces. Two are lodged in the muscle, far enough from any arteries to be of concern. The last one is in his femur. It shattered the bone. He needs immediate surgery and I have no equipment to stabilize his condition on the ground.” 

_ “Dr. Mayweather, there is too much interference from the planet for us to beam you aboard and we cannot fly a shuttle down in that storm.”  _ Una’s voice was calm. The panicked tone from the only doctor on the ground didn’t do anything to assuage Number One’s fears.

Alathea took a deep breath, reviewing their situation. Enterprise would not be able to beam another medkit. Even if they could give the ship approximate coordinates for their location, looking for the medkit in the storm would be the equivalent of looking for a needle in a haystack and they didn’t have a strong enough magnet to assist with the task. But the captain needed surgery. The lack of anesthetic made the task daunting but she had no tools to even attempt to extract the bullet while Chris was unconscious. The knife in their field rations wasn’t anywhere near sharp enough to cut through the muscle.

_ “Lieutenant Spock reported an unnatural cave system,” _ Una continued.  _ “It is possible you are on another side of the complex.” _

Br’tar’s eyes lit up at the news. The cave! The rocks were too smooth to be a natural formation. “I believe we are, Commander,” he answered at once. “We are currently located in a large circular room made to resemble a natural chamber but the geology suggests otherwise.” 

_ “Thea, Spock reported being in a command center.,”  _ Boyce informed his colleague.  _ “And that the underground system was large. If whoever built this place planned for a long stay…” _

“They would have built an infirmary.” She finished, hopeful. She gently caressed Chris’s cheek before removing the hair plastered on his forehead. His skin was warm to the touch and she knew she didn’t have much time. “We’ll keep you updated on our situation. Landing party out.” Alathea closed their communicator. “He needs surgery and we need to hurry.” She rummaged through the rest of her medkit and applied compresses to the wound, hoping to contain the bleeding while they moved the captain. 

Br’tar lifted the captain over his shoulders and made his way towards the back of the cave. “I didn’t make it too far. Lots of interference coming from the rocks for a full scan but the tunnel on the left looks collapsed.”

“To the right it is, then!” Alathea silently prayed that the medical bay was still accessible.

They made their way silently through what looked like crew quarters. As they walked through the various corridors with dormitories on either side, Alathea kept a mental inventory of the supplies they could scavenge for the surgery: beddings for bandages, blankets to keep Chris from going into shock, pans and other kitchen utensils as surgical instruments. In the meantime, Br’tar kept an eye on potential weapons he could use should the villagers decide to follow them into the mountain. He also noticed that the luminosity inside the carven didn’t decrease but he could see no apparent sign of an electrical system. This could be a liability if they needed to hide in the dark.

After a few hundred meters, the landing party reached a dead end. Br’tar opened the last door and they both breathed out a sigh of relief as they recognized the medical bay. The room was circular and looked similar to the medical bay aboard the Enterprise: beds aligned along the walls for what Alathea assumed was recovery. The surgical theater occupied the center of the room. The equipment looked old and reminiscent of Earth’s late 20th century design. She was also surprised to find no dead bodies there. Whatever had happened to the people who had needed this refuge, it wasn’t medical in nature. Or perhaps they never made it to safety. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of something so sudden that no one would survive. 

Alathea motioned for Br’tar to lay the captain on the center bed. “We need to boil some of the sheets to make bandages. He’ll also need blankets. I’ll see what I can find here.” The security officer nodded his understanding before heading out for his supply mission. Considering the weather outside, at least water wasn’t in short supply. 

Alathea ran her medical tricorder over Chris’ unconscious form. His condition hadn’t changed in the half hour it had taken them to find this room. She scanned his leg more thoroughly, assessing the damage to the bone: the bullet had lodged itself three quarter of the way down the femur, closer to the knee. The bone was fractured almost along its entire length and Alathea didn’t doubt that the bullet had made it to the marrow. Even if she could remove the bullet, Chris would need massive amounts of antibiotics. And she doubted that any of the chemicals in this place would be of any use to her.

All she could do was remove the bullet and hope that Enterprise would be able to reach them before the infection killed its captain. Alathea surveyed the room, looking for any surgical instruments. If the villagers were any indication, the instruments should be the right length for a human. The two species looked very similar in shape and height. In fact, the only difference was the ridges on their ears. 

Alathea smiled when she found a surgery kit with what resembled scalpels, scissors, forceps, clamps, and retractors. Another pack contained sutures and surgical drapes. As Br’tar came back with the sheets and blankets, she handed him the instruments. “They also need to be boiled and wrapped into clean sheets.” 

“I found a kitchen down the hall. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Anything that looks like a pressure cooker? It would help sterilize the instruments,” she explained, although she doubted it would matter much. 

“I’ll see if I can find something. There is an oven… but I’m not sure it’s safe to operate.”

“How did you boil water?”

“I used my phaser directly on their stone.”

Thea nodded. “We also need to find restraints,” she added in a whisper.

“Restraints?”

“I have no anesthetics. He will wake up.”

Br’tar jaw dropped open. He hadn’t considered this possibility. “We can probably use the sheets but I’ll see if I can find something sturdier in the crew quarters.”

“Thank you, Br’tar.”

“You have the tough job.” The Masonian looked towards his captain with pity. “Anything we can do to…”

“I’ll need to operate quickly. And I’ll need your help holding his wound open while I get the bullet. I’ll also need you to hold him down if… when he wakes up.”

The security guard swallowed the bile that had risen from his empty stomach. Security officer training had involved a field medic module but he had hoped to never have to use it. During his field assessment, he had almost fainted at the sight of the made-up chest wound on his bunkmate. “I’ll be back soon.”

Alathea gave him a forced smile before making her way back to the captain. She arranged the blankets around him, leaving his right leg accessible. She cut open his pants to give her better access to the wound. The small whimper the movement caused froze her in place. She looked up to Chris to see his eyes flutter open and his face contort in a painful grimace. Alathea immediately took his hand and ran her fingers through his hair soothingly. “Hey, shhhh…. You’re ok.”

“Hurt.” Pike murmured. All he could feel was a white hot pain propagating through his leg.

“I’m sorry.” She swallowed to prevent herself from crying. “One of the bullets shattered all the medical equipment.”

Chris winced at the news and bit his lower lip. Resigned to his pain, he slowly looked around the room. Alathea filled him in on what had transpired in the past few hours. “The landing party?” Chris asked when she was done.

Alathea shook her head. “No news from them yet… but they don’t have a communicator. They might have been able to take refuge in another part of this complex and we wouldn’t know. Once the storm passes, we can scan for them more easily.” She knew first-hand how much Chris blamed himself for the death of any crew members. And right now, she needed to keep his spirits up. 

Chris didn’t believe her but he was too weak to fight. “Can you bandage my leg? If we need to shelter-in-place here, we need to make sure this place is defensible.”

“Chris, the bullet is lodged in the bone. I need to take it out.”

Chris’ eyes grew wide in fear. “You don’t have any equipment…”

“Chris, I’m sorry.” The captain took a deep breath and squeezed Alathea’s hand hard. If she had been any other doctor, including Boyce, he would have put on a brave face. But the doctor was Alathea. And he could never lie to her. “I’ll be quick, Chris.” Alathea caressed his forehead soothingly. Pike nodded, tears running down his cheeks. “I promise.”


	5. Chapter 5

_ Year 2224, San Francisco, CA, Earth _

Chris had a spring in his step as he walked onto the large plaza at the center of Starfleet Medical. He hadn’t seen Alathea since he had chosen to stay for postgraduate studies in Command while she had moved on to Starfleet Medical School. Although the two campuses were not far apart, their respective curriculum had kept them busy. But with finals now behind them, he was looking forward to spending the evening with her.

His smile faded when he found the gorgeous brunette in deep conversation with her classmate, a red hair he knew to be Nathaniel Luna. A second year student, he had been assigned to help Alathea navigate her first year. From what she had told him over their rare chats, the pair had become close. 

Alathea waved and smiled at him as soon as she glanced at Pike standing on the other side of the plaza. Chris managed a smile of his own as he hid his jealousy as best he could. He knew he had no rights to feel this way. He and Alathea were just friends.

Yet, they were more than friends. After her return to high school in the spring of junior year, they had no other friends left. Alathea did not have many to begin with and the rumor that she was dating the most coveted boy in school had created even more resentment. As for Chris, he had to let go of his spot on the football team, a choice the coach had blamed their championship loss on. Overnight, Chris had gone from school hero to pariah. 

Consequently, they had spent their senior year together, even skipping prom night to go ride in the California mountains. Their bond had grown closer at the Academy where they had spent nights studying together. After they both graduated -despite Chris’ F in astrophysics, they had decided to pursue their own careers, a move that had separated them for the first time in seven years.

The transition had been difficult at first but they had both made new friends. He had grown closer to his roommate, Leland, and the most promising cadet in the command training program, Phillippa Georgiou. The three of them were scheduled for an experimental flight tomorrow morning, an honor not often bestowed upon first-year graduates.

“Hey,” he greeted as he reached the table his friend was sitting at. “Sorry I’m late.” Chris pulled up a chair next to Alathea, kissing her cheek before sitting down next to her.

“No worries. Nathan was helping me with course selection for next semester.” She smiled at the man in question. “He thinks I should go for the advanced cross-species surgical techniques.”

“The best students take this class. It gives you an edge for your second-year internship.” The man hesitated, unsure of what to make of Pike’s coldness. He had heard of Christopher Pike. Everyone who knew Alathea did and he had been afraid to meet the legend himself. 

“What would you like to take?” Chris asked her, ignoring Nathan’s remark.

“Well, I was thinking about taking Clinical Medicine. Dr Boyce will be teaching it next semester…” She looked up towards Chris expectantly.

Chris gave her a warm smile and squeezed her hand. “I think you should take it.” He told her sincerely. Alathea revered the doctor who had helped her through her treatment and he knew better than anyone how much learning from Boyce meant to Alathea. 

“Second-year internships are the most important step to secure a research position.” Nathan countered.

“Nathan wants to work at the Pasteur Institute in Paris.” Alathea explained, sensing that Chris was about to crucify the man for his comment. “He wants to study delta radiation poisoning.”

“Delta radiation?” Chris asked. He had never heard of it before. 

“Produced in warp cores.” Nathaniel explained. “Extremely lethal. No one has ever been known to survive and the slow death is agony. Accidents are rare but the injuries are so severe… I want to help.”

Chris nodded. “Why the Pasteur Institute? Wouldn’t working on a deep space station be more productive?”

Alathea laughed. “Nathan is afraid of space.”

“And you enrolled in Starfleet?” Chris asked incredulously.

Nathan shrugged. “They have the best medical school but I’m not planning to ever set foot aboard a starship.”

“How did you get away with flight training at the Academy?”

“I explained to my professor that if he passed me, I would never sit behind the console of a flying vessel in my life. He seemed more than happy about the arrangement.”

Chris laughed heartily. “Are you seriously telling me that you told April off?” 

“He did put me in a simulator…”

The grimace on Nathan’s face made Chris laugh harder. “I wish I had been there to see that.”

“You and half of the senior class.” Nathan stood up. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting with my biochemistry professor. Alathea, see you tomorrow?” The brunette nodded. “Chris, it was nice to finally meet you.” He extended his hand.

Chris shook it firmly, his jealousy mostly forgotten. “Likewise.”

As Nathan departed, Alathea slapped Chris on the wrist. “Ouch! What did you do that for?”

“For being a jerk to him at the beginning.”

Chris rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry. I’ll never do it again.”

“Liar.” She laughed. “Come on, we should get going if we want to be back before 10pm.” She stood up, dragging Chris behind her. He followed her to the nearby transporter and seconds later, they found themselves standing in the middle of Mojave.

They both breathed the suffocating warm air in, smiling. No matter where they would both end up, this would always be home. “I heard they have a new Chinese spot downtown.” Chris offered.

Alathea shook her head. “Let’s go to Lupe’s.” Lupe’s was the local Mexican spot. It had been a fixture of town since the late twentieth century, passed down to generations of the Mexican family. To Chris and Alathea, it was their safe haven. The pair had spent hours there studying, watching the latest holo or playing board games. It had been away from their classmates, the reality of Alathea’s deteriorating condition before her treatment, and Chris’ father’s expectations.

Chris wrapped his arm around Alathea’s waist. “Sure.” 

She leaned heavily against him as they made their way towards the cultural center of town. As usual, Lupe was packed with locals who knew where to find the best food in town but as soon as the current owner saw the couple, she waved them to the back, towards their private booth.

“And what can I get you two?” She asked as they settled for dinner. 

“Two cheese burritos, a side of queso and guacamole. And beers.” Alathea ordered for the both of them. 

“Add extra rice and beans.” Chris added. “I’m starving!”

“They don’t feed you at flight school?” Alathea joked.

“It’s called Command and yes, they do feed me.”

“I know. But your plan is to fly around on a starship, right? Captain Pike,” she mused. “It has a nice ring to it.”

Chris chuckled. “I doubt I’ll ever make captain. Not sure I want to.” Alathea frowned, prompting Chris to clarify. “I don’t think I can be responsible for so many lives.”

Alathea squeezed his hand. “And that is exactly why you’ll be the best captain Starfleet will ever have. You care about people. And that’s a rare quality among those in command.”

Chris raised their hands and kissed the back of Alathea’s. “You know, I’ve always wanted to go to the Academy... ever since I was a little boy and my father told me about the men and women of Starfleet and the history of space exploration. But I never thought about what I would do after.”

Alathea frowned. “Your father… He expected you to go to the Academy, didn’t he?”

Chris nodded. Few people knew about the frayed relationship between Josh Pike and his son. On the surface, they were the perfect family. But in private, Josh had placed so much pressure on Chris’ shoulders that it was a miracle the father had broken his son’s spirit. Chris had been expected to maintain a perfect GPA while helping out on the ranch and at the school where Josh had been teaching comparative religions on Sundays. His extra-curricular activities had been a mile long to ensure his admittance to the pre-Academy program in their senior year. 

“If you hadn’t gone to the Academy, what would you have liked to do?”

Chris shrugged. “Work on the ranch. With horses.”

Alathea knew better than anyone that this was no longer a possibility. After Chris had been kicked out of the football team, Pike Sr. had shut himself off from his son. No matter Chris’ scholarly achievements, it was never enough. And on the morning of his eighteenth birthday, Chris had left the ranch, at first living in the car he had bought while working at the local dealership over the summer. “And now?”

“I like flying.” He answered sincerely. “We’re supposed to be on an experimental flight tomorrow morning. Just observing… but they usually don’t let first year cadets anywhere near these ships.”

Alathea knew the “we” he was talking about: Pike, Leland, and Georgiou. They had been nicknamed the “red squad” by their fellow cadets because of all the privileges Command had given them. The squad was more of an inspiration than a cause for jealousy. After all, if everyone worked as hard as the trio, they would also catch the eye of Command. “Chris, be careful up there.”

Chris gave her a reassuring smile. “Always.”

Although Alathea wasn’t convinced by the words, she could never resist Chris’ dimples. And she knew he had that effect on most women. If his reputation was anything to go by, Chris had slept with half of the female recruits. Alathea knew that the rumors were false but she understood why women would brag about going on a date with Christopher Pike. 

Their discussion was interrupted by the arrival of their food. As soon as the burritos were placed in front of them, the pair devoured the food, remaining mostly silent through their meal. 

“Thea, have you seen Boyce since the hospital?” Chris finally asked. 

Alathea shook her head. “I wanted to keep in touch with him. But I didn’t know whether it was appropriate. When I applied to Medical, I thought about asking him for a letter but what could he have recommended me for? Surviving Aggarwal’s treatment?”

“You did a lot more than survive. You’re walking! In normal gravity!”

“His treatment worked. Despite the side effects.” Alathea looked away from Chris. 

“Have you talked to a doctor about it?” Chris prodded carefully. This was not an easy subject for his friend. 

Alathea shook her head. “You heard Boyce that day. I’ll never be able to have children of my own.”

“Medicine is progressing everyday.” Chris insisted. “You don’t know what’s possible now.”

Alathea snorted. “I do. It’s not like I don’t have access to a library full of medical journals and the knowledge to understand them. Aggarwal didn’t care about the side effects. He never told my parents. And even if he had…”

“The admiral would have authorized the treatment.” Chris finished. “If you had had a choice,...”

“I would have done the exact same.” Alathea interrupted. “I was in extreme pain in the harness. All the time. There were only two solutions: the treatment or lower gravity. And I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life away from the people I’d learned to care about. I had already lost my parents. I wasn’t ready to lose the Mayweathers. Chris, I don’t regret what happened. But I admit that I’m nervous about seeing Boyce again after all this time. He’s the reason I enrolled in Medical. And I’m seriously considering applying to his internship program next year.”

“I think you should.” Chris smiled. “Besides, if I ever become a captain, I’ll need the best CMO!”

Alathea laughed. “Oh, and I thought you’ll never be the captain.” She teased. “But I’ll consider it.”

“Consider it?”

“Well, I’ll be the best doctor coming out of the Academy so I’ll have my choice of assignment… and Captain Georgiou will definitely need the best there is!”

Chris’ eyes widened and he placed his hands above his heart, faking a wound. “This hurts, you know!”

“I know.” Alathea winked at Chris before stealing the last chip and finishing the queso.

\--------

“Leland to Mayweather!” The urgency in the other man’s voice propelled Alathea off her bed to the small comm unit in her door room.

“Mayweather.”

The face of a man she had only met once filled the screen. His brows were furrowed and his eyes were full of worry. “Chris… he can’t breathe.” Leland repositioned the camera so she could have a look at Chris. He was sitting in his boxers on the edge of the bed, barely able to breathe.

“He is having an asthma attack! You need to get him to the infirmary ASAP!”

“He’s refusing to go.”

Alathea cocked her head and rolled her eyes in exasperation. Of course, Chris was. The attack would disqualify him for the flight tomorrow. “I’m on my way. His inhaler should be in his bedside table. Have him use it every five minutes until I get there.” She killed the comm link before Leland had a chance to reply. She dressed quickly in exercise clothes before grabbing her med kit. As she was about to leave the room, she remembered her roommate and wrote a quick note for her not to worry. She would probably be spending the night with Chris. First, to try to get him breathing. And then, to convince him not to get on that flight in the morning.

Alathea ran through the Medical Plaza towards the transporter pads. Ten minutes later, she was sneaking into the boy’s dormitory making her way towards Chris’ room. She knocked softly at the door and a desperate Leland opened almost immediately, worry etching deeper into his rather handsome features. 

Alathea rushed into the room with a word of greeting and immediately kneeled in front of Chris, who was still not able to breathe. “When was the last time he used his inhaler?” She asked Leland, her eyes still glued on Chris. 

“About five minutes ago…” Leland answered, barely audible over Chris’ wheezing. 

Alathea pushed Chris’ hands up, forcing him to take another dose of his medicine. “How many so far?”   


“This would be the third.” 

After a few minutes, Chris’ breathing sounded easier. “Hurt…” He pointed towards his chest.

Alathea opened her medkit and filled an hypospray. “I’m going to give you a steroid.” She informed him just before injecting him. 

A few more minutes after the injection, Chris was able to breathe almost normally. “Is he ok?” Leland asked, worryingly.

Alathea nodded. “Yes, he will be.” Turning her attention back to Chris, “When was the last attack?” she asked him.

Chris shook his head, trying to remember. “I don’t know. High School.”

“When you were under severe stress?”

Chris nodded. As the wheezing started to become more pronounced, she helped him with his inhaler again. “Just keep breathing slowly, ok?” Another nod. “Do you want to lie down?” Another nod. Alathea helped Chris on the bed, running her fingers through his hair soothingly. “You’re going to be ok.” She whispered. She knew how scared he must have been and she hated for him to have to hide his vulnerability to his roommate.

“Stay with me?” He asked her in a small voice.

Alathea nodded as she removed her sports jacket and kicked her shoes and yoga pants off. She climbed in bed after Chris, covering them with the blanket. “Get some rest, ok?” She doubted that Chris heard the words. The moment she had laid next to him, he’d been fast asleep. Alathea placed her hand on Chris’ bare chest, reassuring herself that her friend was still breathing.

Leland sat down on his bed, watching the strange couple. When he had met Alathea at the beginning of the academic year, he had mentioned to Chris that he wanted to ask her out. Although Chris had told him to do whatever he wanted, he had seen the hurt in his eyes and had decided against the possible romance. Today, he had learned that the relationship would have been doomed for the start. Whether or not they admitted it, Chris and Thea belonged together. 


	6. Chapter 6

_Stardate: 1873.4. Enterprise, in orbit around Upothas II_

_Acting Captain’s log, Supplemental. Dr. Mayweather is prepping for surgery, getting herself familiar with the surgical instruments found on the planet. Dr. Boyce will assist from the ship, linking the away team tricorder to the main computer. They hope that they can keep the procedure under twenty minutes to minimize the possibility of Captain Pike to go into shock. Mr Spock, Landais and Johnson have continued their exploration of the underground cavern, hoping to locate their main engineering. We still have no words from the village or the members of the original landing party._

“Nineteen minutes.” Alathea stopped the chronometer on her tricorder before cutting the sutures on the makeshift practice leg. 

_“This is probably as fast as you will be able to complete this surgery.”_ Boyce informed her. They both knew that nineteen minutes were already too long but even with the added power of the Enterprise’s main frame, Alathea would have to perform this surgery without relying on the technology she had become used to during training. If Pike was onboard the ship, the computer would be able to render a 3D image of his condition and trace the most efficient path to bullet removal. The microsurgical tools would then get to work, limiting the amount of cutting through skin and muscle. Although her tricorder was capable of giving her the 3D rendition of Pike’s leg, Alathea would have to use macro-surgery tools.

“Phil, this means twenty-five to thirty minutes on Chris.” She whispered from the other side of the alien sickbay. “This is too long.”

 _“Thea, I wish we could beam Chris over or that there was a way we could salvage any of the chemicals at your disposal to concoct an anesthetic. You are his best chance. He will get through it.”_ Onboard the ship, Boyce exchanged a quick look with Number One. Chris’ vitals were strong despite his condition and Alathea’s presence could only benefit their situation. _“He needs you now as much as you needed him when you were teenagers. He doesn’t just need a doctor.”_

Alathea glanced over her shoulder at the immobile form of her friend. Chris was facing away for her, no doubt trying to hide his pain and fear not only from her but Br’tar, Boyce, and Number One. She looked down at the suture in front of her. Deep down, she knew Boyce was right. This was the best she could do. Running a hundred more practice runs wouldn’t improve Chris’ chances. _You don’t have the difficult job._ She reminded herself. Chris did. And Boyce was right, he needed a friend more than he needed her to try to shave off another 30 seconds off the surgery time. “Phil, give me fifteen minutes to get everything ready. I’ll call back then.”

_“We’ll have everything ready up here. Boyce out.”_

Thea’s eyes were glued on the tricorder display. Nineteen minutes. For Chris, it would be an eternity. She bit her lower lip to prevent herself from crying out. She imagined Chris screaming in agony and fighting against the restraints. One wrong cut and she could sever his artery, leaving him out to bleed on the table. 

Her dark thoughts were mercifully interrupted by Br’Tar coming back to the infirmary with buckets of boiled water and bandages. The Masonian had worked tirelessly since they had found the refuge to provide Alathea with everything she would need for the surgery as well as blocking the wind from entering the cave, keeping the ambient temperature from plummeting to dangerous levels. “I found more blankets in the crew quarters.” The lieutenant informed her. “We will probably need to shelter here tonight. I can use the remaining power in one of our phasers to heat up the walls.”

“Can you boil more water?” She asked, gathering her tricorder. 

“Now?” Br’tar asked with a frown. “Yes, but…”

“We will need it for consumption tonight.” Alathea interrupted. 

Br’Tar nodded in understanding. “I’ll get a couple more liters ready. Should take about 10min.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant.” Alathea made her way towards the middle of the room on shaky legs. Br’tar admired her strength. He hadn’t been deaf to the rumors swirling around when Dr. Mayweather had joined the Enterprise a few months ago. Although the exact nature of her relationship with the captain had been surrounded by much speculation, one thing was clear: they had known each other for a long time. If he were in her position, he doubted he would be able to carry on with his duty. An image of his wife flashed in front of his eyes and he shuddered at the thought that she could be the one laying on the bed, waiting for an unimaginable amount of pain. Br’tar exited the room silently, focusing once more on their immediate survival.

“Hey.” Alathea called out softly as she sat down on the stool near Chris’ bed. His eyes were unfocused and his breathing shallow, betraying his pain and apprehension. She moved her hand under the blanket to let it rest over Chris’ abdomen. She softly caressed him through his jacket, waiting for him to acknowledge her. Once his blue eyes focused on her face, she gave him a soft smile and kissed his forehead tenderly. “How are you doing?”

Chris shivered violently and whimpered when the movement sent jolts of pain up and down his leg. Alathea knew that the original reaction was as much a response to pain as it was to fear: not only the fear of the pain he knew was coming but also the fear of showing his vulnerability to his crew. She ran her fingers through his salt-and-pepper hair soothingly. “It’s ok, Chris. It’s just us.” Chris took a shaky breath, tears escaping his eyes despite his best effort. “You’re going to be ok.” Althea continued. “I’m going to take the bullet out and you’re going to get plenty of rest. Before you know it, we’ll be back on Enterprise and when this is all over, Number One will find us a nice little planet for a long overdue shore leave.” 

Chris grabbed the hand resting on his abdomen and held on to his friend with an iron grip. He let the tears flow freely, tired of fighting against the pain. “You’re ok,” Alahtea comforted. “You’re going to be ok.” She caressed his cheek, noting that he felt a little warm. “I’m not letting you give up on me today.”

Pike wasn’t afraid of dying. He already knew his fate and it was much worse than his current predicament. But he was afraid of the pain and he hated to have anyone witnessing his breakdown. “I want to know.” He whispered so low that Alathea strained to discern the words. 

“Know what?”

“What you’re gonna do.”

Alathea hesitated. She didn’t want to frighten her patient more but in Chris’ case, not knowing could be as detrimental as understanding the details of the surgery. She finally nodded, moving her tricorder on the bed. She punched a few commands and the 3D rendering from the Enterprise’s computer floated between her and Chris. “One of the fragments is in your femur,” she explained, pointing at the red area on the rendered bone. “The other two are in the muscle above it.” Alathea played the accelerated computer animation for Chris. “First, I’ll have to cut around the entry wound to the bone so I can get to the first bullet.” The animation showed retractors holding the surgical site open while a forcep was plunged inside the leg to extract the first bullet. “Then I’ll get the fragments in the muscle before closing.”

Chris’ eyes drifted towards the surgical tray. The instruments were covered by a sheet but he could make out the contours of clamps and retractors. His breathing became faster as the animation replayed in his head. “Close your eyes,” Alathea placed herself between Chris and the instruments. “Just listen to my voice.” She waited for her captain to obey her orders before running the back of her hand over his cheek. “Deep breath in… and out.” She repeated the exercise until Chris relaxed his grip on her hand. “Just keep breathing slowly. Can you do that for me?” Chris nodded.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Br’tar setting the two buckets of water down near the others. Alathea was astonished that a man of Br’tar stature could move so stealthily but she was grateful to him for not startling Chris. “Lieutenant Br’tar is going to place the restraints,” she addressed both men in the room. “Just keep concentrating on me,” she instructed Chris as Br’tar grabbed the leather restraints they had found in the infirmary. The Masonian first secured the captain’s legs and hips while the doctor kept talking to her patient soothingly. She placed Chris’ arms along his body for Br’tar to restrain his torso and hands. Still holding Chris’ right hand, she picked up a rolled up sheet they had planned to use as a bandage and pressed it against his lips. “Bite on this.” Chris squeezed his eyes before taking the offering. “Mayweather to Enterprise.” She said as she flipped her communicator open with one hand. 

_“Boyce here.”_

“We’re ready here. Linking my tricorder…” Chris tightened his hold on her hand. Alathea ran her thumb over the back of his hand, trying to impart as much comfort as she could through the small gesture. 

Within a few seconds, her tricorder came to life, displaying her patient’s leg and the location of the three bullet fragments. The Enterprise’s computer would update as the surgery progressed, adjusting as needed for the most efficient extraction. Alathea released Chris’ hand and nodded at Br’tar before standing over the captain’s leg. She flipped over the sheet hiding the instruments and grabbed the scissors to cut the captain’s pants. As soon as Chris felt the motion of the fabric, his eyes shot open and his breathing fastened. “Chris, deep breaths… you’re ok. Keep taking slow, deep breaths.” She waited for Chris to calm down before putting latex gloves on and grabbing the scalpel. “Computer, time.” She ordered before cutting the surgical site open.

Chris bucked against the restraints and screamed through the gag. “Hold him!” She ordered Br’tar, trying her best to ignore her friend’s pleas for her to stop. The Masonian held his captain against the table, averting his eyes from those of the man screaming and sobbing in pain beneath him.

Onboard Enterprise, Boyce was livid as he watched the animation on the screen amid the screams. Within a few minutes, Mayweather had cut through the muscle and was ready to extract the first fragment. He watched helplessly as the forcep scrapped against the bone. Chris was thrashing around in agony despite the restraints, making it almost impossible for Alathea to get a grip on the bullet. 

After a few more minutes, she managed to get a hold of it and removed it, causing a new wave of pain to flow through Chris. “Almost over, Chris.” She threw the fragment in a metal pan before fishing around for the second one, guided by the computer display in front of her.

Alathea almost broke down in tears when she realized that Chris’ movements had caused the last fragment to move deeper into the muscle. With a shaky hand, she grabbed the scalpel and cut transversely. Chris wailed as he felt the flesh rip apart. “Stop!” he begged, trying to dislodge the mountain of brick off his chest. “Please! Stop!”

 _“Thea, you’re doing great.”_ Boyce encouraged, trying to center the doctor back on her task. _“The bullet is right below the cut. Nice and slow, don’t try to grab it, just scoop it out.”_

Alathea let out a deep breath as she removed the last fragment. “I’m closing, Chris. It’s over.” She sutured the wound as quickly as she could manage. By the time she was finished, Chris laid limp on the table, with Br’tar standing a few feet away from the scene, in shock. Chris’ eyes were glazed over in pain, dry tears on his cheeks. His breathing was shallow and fast. She bandaged his leg with the clean sheets and removed her gloves to unfasten the restraints. “You’re ok. You did great.” Alathea cupped his cheeks and kissed his forehead. She removed the fabric he had been biting on and moved the hair plastered on his forehead. “You’re ok.” She repeated soothingly. “All you have to do is get some rest. You’re doing fine.”

Chris moaned in pain as Alathea placed the blankets back on his shaking body. Chris was in shock and they needed to keep him warm. “It’s all over.” Thea looked away from Chris, unable to keep her tears from flowing down her cheeks. She caught the tricorder’s display: forty minutes. She bit her lower lip to prevent herself from screaming. She had tortured Chris for forty minutes. 

Boyce’s fingers had turned white around the communicator. He felt utterly powerless. He blamed himself for what had just transpired on the planet. He had known for months that Pike needed to be relieved from duty or, at the very least, placed under psychiatric care. All the signs of PTSD had been there but he had ignored them because the patient was his friend. As a consequence of his apathy, he had placed Alathea Mayweather in a position where she had been forced to inflict more pain on the man she loved than any being should suffer through in a lifetime. _“Thea…”_ Phil waited a few seconds for her to answer. _“You are the best friend Chris could have by his side.”_ He said sincerely.

As Alathea looked into Chris’ eyes, it was hard for her to believe Boyce’s words. All she could see in the normally warm blue orbs were pain and fear. Chris visibly flinched when she reached for his hand. He was scared of her. He was scared that she would inflict more pain. “Chris, I’m so sorry.” She sobbed her apology, unable to keep up pretenses any longer. 

“You saved him.” Br’tar placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, having regained some of his composure. “I know he doesn’t see it right now but he will soon be thanking you.”

Alathea bit back her tears and nodded. As a doctor, she knew she hadn’t had a choice. Without the surgery, Chris would have either bled out or died of an infection before Enterprise could get to them. At least, she had given him a fighting chance. But as his friend, she felt lousy. “Excuse me!” She ran out of the infirmary just in time to spill the meager content of her stomach right outside the door.

She felt the gentle hand of the Mansonian pulling her long black hair back. “What you did back there… it took more courage than fighting an army of Klingons,” Br’tar said sincerely.

Alathea wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand and nodded slowly. “He isn’t out of the woods yet.”

“Perhaps not. But without you, he would be dead.” Br’tar handed her her water pack. She thanked him before taking a few sips of the cool liquid. “Stay with him. I’ll make sure we are secure for the night.”

“Thank you.” She placed her hand on Br’tar’s forearm. “For being here.”

“Nobody gets left behind.” He looked at the shaking form of his captain. “When I came aboard Enterprise, this was the first thing Pike said to me. He told me that as a security officer, my first duty was to make sure that no one would be left behind.”

Alathea gave him a small smile. “We’re not leaving him behind.”

“We’re all getting back to Enterprise. And right now, he needs his doctor… and his friend.” Br’tar handed Alathea her closed communicator back. 

Alathea pocketed the device before making her way back inside the infirmary. Chris’ breathing was still faster than she would like but the shaking had diminished and her tricorder showed that his lifesigns were mostly returning to normal. She silently sat by his side, monitoring him for any changes.

After ten minutes, Pike reached out for Alathea’s hand and laced his fingers with hers. Alathea caressed his cheek tenderly with her free hand in response. No words needed to be exchanged; the simple gestures representing all the love and trust they had in each other.


	7. Chapter 7

_ Year 2235, USS Chatelet on route to Iggisia _

Lieutenant Christopher Pike willed himself to remain seated on his bunk, watching the digital clock ticking down slowly their ETA to Iggisia. The planet had suffered a catastrophic space storm that had torn apart the crust and generated massive earthquakes. In their last communication, the leadership council of the science colony had reported over 90% destruction and fatalities in the thousands. Although officially classified as a search and rescue mission, the tactical team aboard the  _ USS Chatelet _ knew that it would soon become a recovery operation. 

“Chris, you need to get some sleep”, Leland mumbled, half-asleep himself. He turned around in his bunk to face his friend. “You won’t be of any help to her tomorrow if you don’t get any shut eye.”

Chris fisted his hands and bolted from his bed. “It’s my fault!,” he vented. “She went to Iggisia because of me.”

Leland sighed, abandoning any hope for sleep. “Alathea followed her wife to the colony after Elena got a grant to study space mushrooms or something.” Science had never been Leland's forte.

Chris started pacing the length of the cramped quarters. “She followed Elena…”

“Because they love each other,” Leland interrupted. He knew his friend was deeply in love with Alathea Mayweather but neither of them had ever acted on their mutual feelings. After they had graduated from the Academy, he and Chris had been assigned to Mars, testing new shuttle crafts capable of rapid atmospheric ascent. These same shuttle crafts were currently stored in the  _ Chatelet _ ’s cargo bay, ready for the daunting task ahead. The space storm had ionized the atmosphere, making transporter technology without pattern enhancers unreliable for a large scale rescue effort. Tomorrow, he and Chris along with seven other pilots would transport the most critical victims aboard these shuttles, the only ones capable of flying through the ionized atmosphere and the storms it had generated. Their goal was to buy some time for the engineering team to enhance transporter capabilities. 

Alathea Mayweather’s first posting had been at the New Delhi Institute on Earth, where she had worked with Nathaniel Luna on treatments for delta radiation. There, she had met astromycologist Elena Smith. The two women had fallen in love and had married six months later. Two years later, Alathea and Elena had been assigned to a top secret facility on Iggisia. Since then, Pike and Alathea had steadily grown apart. Pike had been hopping from starships to starships, steadily climbing the rank ladder while Alathea and Elena had worked for the most secretive programs in Starfleet. After a few subspace calls, they had both realized that they had almost nothing to talk about. Besides, Pike could barely hide his jealousy towards Elena Smith. 

“Chris, don’t do this to yourself.”

Pike stopped his pacing, facing the exit door. “If anything happened to her, I won’t be able to forgive myself.”

\---------

Nothing could have prepared Pike for the scene in front of him as his shuttle took off from the safety of the  _ Chatelet _ ’s landing bay with the medical team he had been assigned to drop off in the capital city onboard. The shuttle had been retrofitted to carry a maximum of three patients on gurneys plus five ambulatories to one of the five medical ships that had accompanied them on their rescue mission.

Although Iggisia was a M-class and covered mostly by a vast ocean, the planet was engulfed in dust and electrical storm, giving it an eerie red appearance that reminded him of the description of Hell-Fire he had read about in his father’s books. Pike shook the image away, focusing on the daunting task ahead. Even with the modified shuttle, Pike would test the limits of the new inertial dampeners to navigate between the storms. The ride would be uncomfortable, even for a seasoned test pilot such as himself, but even more so for the first responders’ team strapped in the back. 

“Hold on,” he warned them before entering the upper atmosphere. The shuttle trembled and whined as Pike maneuvered around the electrical discharge, the strong winds forcing him off course on numerous occasions. After what seemed like an eternity, the shuttle pierced through the last layer of clouds to reveal the destruction below. None of the buildings had survived the strong earthquakes ripping the planet apart. Chris could see the ground buckle as he looked for the best landing site despite the poor visibility from the dust and ash. Fires were destroying what was left of the once flourishing colony, home to over thirty thousand souls. 

As soon as the shuttle landed in a thump, the medical team unstrapped themselves from their seat and assembled their gear. When Pike opened the rear hatch, all personnel aboard the spacecraft froze. None of their training had covered the level of destruction in display in front of them. People were running in every direction, trying to keep themselves safe from the collapsing buildings, equipment explosions, and other hazards the catastrophe had produced. However, their screams were drowned in the strong wind and ominous whines of the once state-of-the-art structures that had been the pride of the leadership council. 

“Go! Critical only!” Nimue, the  _ Chatelet’ _ s chief medical officer, ordered. “Pike, stay with the shuttle. Prepare to evacuate the first wave. Leavey, triage. Simpson, divert non-critical patients towards an open area. As soon as the engineering team gets the transporters going, send them up. Suvol, prep the shuttle for critical care patients. Move!” Without waiting for an acknowledgement from his team, Nimue rushed towards the chaos.

Within ten minutes, fifteen patients had been packed into the shuttle. Pike scanned their faces quickly, hoping to see Alathea among the rescued. “Pike, now!” Nimue’s angry voice brought him back to reality. The take-off was very bit as rough as the landing had been. Pike focused on his consoles, tuning out as best he could manage the frightened cries and whimpers from the wounded.

Over the next twelve hours, Pike repeated the process, bringing engineering and medical personnel down the planet and coming back with loads of patients. In the few minutes he had in-between loads, Pike scanned the manifest for Alathea and Elena’s names, hoping that the two women were safely onboard one of the medical ships. But both of them had remained MIA. 

Pike tried to convince himself that his friend had been found and was being treated. In the current chaos, he knew that the database was not reliable but he couldn’t help the feeling of dread at the pit of his stomach. Their mission had already started to be one of recovery rather than rescue. His last two runs had been with ten body bags in the back of his shuttle rather than the patients he had helped rescue earlier in the day. The chances of finding Alathea alive were dwindling and Pike had to use every ounce of self-control to not cry out his despair. 

“This is our last haul.” Nimue announced as he was taking his place next to Pike at the helm. “We’re going down to get Leland’s team. His shuttle was lost in the last earthquake and they are cut off from the main evac site.”   


“Sir, with all due respect, there are people who still need evacuation down there,” Pike protested at once. The doctor had aged thirty years in the span of half a day. The once bright eyes were dull, as if they had seen more suffering than anyone could witness in a lifetime.

“Son, our chances of finding anyone else alive are slim to none. We all get some rest tonight and start the recovery operation tomorrow.”

Pike clenched his teeth. Antagonizing a senior officer would not get him any closer to finding Alathea. “ _ Chatelet _ , this is the  _ Einstein _ . Ready to take off.”

_ “You have a go, Einstein.” _

Pike concentrated on flying the shuttle through the intense storms. With nightfall on this side of the planet, the winds had become more violent, especially near the ground. The two men inside the cabin breathed a heavy sigh of relief when Pike managed to successfully land the shuttle near a structure that was miraculously still standing. Or at least, it appeared so on the outside. 

As soon as the rear door opened, Leland, his crew and 5 survivors rushed inside, coughing from the dust. “Go!” Leland ordered.

“Wait!” A Denobulan interrupted. “There are still people in the lab! You can’t leave them behind!” 

Pike hesitated. “Lieutenant, get us out of here! That’s an order!” Nimue barked. 

“Dr. Smith was on the other side of the building when it happened! That part of the building is reinforced with a tritanium alloy. It’s made to resist any natural catastrophe known to the Federation!” The Denobulan continued. “But if they’re hurt down there, no way they can make it back without power.”   


“Dr. Smith? They?” Pike’s heart started beating faster. “Elena Smith?”

The Denobulan nodded. “Yes, she and her wife were down there when the storm hit.”

Pike jumped out of his seat and ran to the rear latch. His path was blocked by Leland. “Chris, no! We need to leave now or we won’t be able to!” He pointed towards the five scientists with his chin. The message was clear: the need of the people in the shuttle mattered more than trying to find Elena and Alathea. As far as they knew, the two women could both be dead. But they would all be dead soon if they didn’t take off.

“I can’t.” Pike whispered to his friend before hitting him the jaw hard enough to make Leland drop to his knees but not enough to knock him unconscious. “I’m not leaving her behind. Get the shuttle back!” Pike opened the rear hatch and started running towards the dark structure.

“He sealed his fate. Get us out of here now!” Nimue ordered a still dazed Leland.

\--------

His lungs were burning and his footing was unsure from the quakes ripping the planet apart but Pike never wavered. He ran inside as fast as his legs could carry him and cursed as soon as he entered a large circular entrance with no markings. Of course he had heard of such buildings before. Largely unmarked on the inside and outside and kept off most maps, they harbored the Federation’s deepest secrets. Section 31 may not officially exist in any Starfleet budget lines but everyone knew of their existence. 

Pike turned on the flashlight on his protective vest and made his way towards the nearest console. To his surprise and delight, it turned on as soon as he touched the black panel. However, his relief was short-lived. Accessing any of the menus required a security clearance he didn’t have. He fisted the panel and cursed under his breath. How was he supposed to find Alathea in this labyrinth? 

“Computer, are evacuation protocols in place?” He asked, knowing full well that these protocols would override any lockout mechanism from low-security systems such as the display.

“No. No emergency detected.” The computer replied in a mechanical voice. Apparently, it was malfunctioning.

“Computer, scan for structural damage.” Pike asked, trying to outsmart the machine.

“Analyzing...:” After a brief pause, the computer enumerated the damage. “Structural damage to level 14 and below. Emergency protocols engaged.” A soft alarm sounded throughout the dark structure.

“Computer, life signs?” Pike prompted, hopeful.

“Unable to comply. Detectors damaged.”

“Damn it!”

“Not within my parameters. Please restate your request.”

“Computer, where are the scientific labs located?”

“Level 24 through 32.” 

Pike frowned. How deep into the ground were Starfleet’s darkest secrets actually buried? “Computer, what about biological research?”

“Level 29 through 32.” 

“Computer, display the shortest path to these levels, taking into account structural damage.”

Pike downloaded the response to his tricorder and started his trek down to the bowel of Section 31. Despite its reinforced structure, the building had suffered serious damage in the storm. It wouldn’t be long until it collapsed completely, burying everyone still alive under tons of tritanium rubbles.

With only the light from his protective vest to guide him, Pike slowly made his way towards the back of the building. According to the computer report, the only undamaged lift shaft to the lobby was the service one down to Level 10. From there, he would have to make his way back towards the main shaft to continue his descent towards Level 29 and below.

His progress was slow and hampered by the debris on the floor and the poor ventilation. His muscles protested with each rung he climbed, but Pike ignored the pain, focusing entirely on rescuing Alathea. He couldn’t lose her. He wouldn’t.

Level 10 was even more damaged than the lobby. Entire beams had collapsed from the ceiling, forcing Pike to crawl most of the way towards the main shaft. He had been making his way down for the better part of an hour. At his rate of progress, he wouldn’t have much time to locate the two women before having to start the journey back. The search and recovery operation would be short-lived given that the planet was literally ripping itself apart and Pike knew they would need to be at the transporter site 1.5 clicks from their current location by daybreak. 

With renewed vigour, he picked up the pace and reached Level 29 within the hour. “Thea?” He called hopefully but his only answer were the ominous creaks of the damaged building. Thankfully, the corridor was mostly free of debris, allowing him to search each room quickly.

His heart skipped a beat as he opened the last door. He could vaguely make out the shape of a woman sitting on the opposite side of the room. “Thea?” He called out, rushing by her side. His joy was short-lived, however, as he approached the scene. Thea was cradling her dead wife, who had been pinned down by a falling heavy-duty cabinet. Elena’s death had probably been slow and painful, with Alathea utterly powerless to help her. Pike slowly kneeled by his friend’s side, pulling her gently into a tender embrace. “Thea,” he whispered, “you can let go now.” He gently kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back, trying to focus her attention on him. “It’s ok. I’ve got you.” Thea yelped in pain as soon as he tried to disentangle her from Elena. 

“I’m sorry.” He moved her more cautiously until she was laying on the floor a few feet away from where he had found her. Alathea was covered in blood but besides a laceration on her forehead, Pike couldn’t see any open wounds. He quickly deduced that the blood wasn’t hers but her wife’s. “Thea, where are you hurt?” He caressed her cheek. “Thea?” When his friend didn’t respond, he gently pressed on various parts of her body. Alathea cried out when Chris moved her left arm.

_ Pain _ . Alathea focused her attention on the person sitting next to her in the dark.  _ Elena. _ Her hope was short-lived. The being next to her had broader shoulders and short dark hair.  _ Chris _ . She thought. But Chris couldn’t be with her. She laughed as she realized she was hallucinating. It wouldn’t be long now.

“Thea.” Pike called out again.

Thea reached out for the form next to her. To her surprise, it was solid to the touch. “Chris?” She asked tentatively.

“Yes.” Pike sighed in relief. “Try not to move. I think your arm is broken.”

“What are you doing here? You can’t be here…”

Pike ran his fingers through her hair. “The  _ Chatelet _ was dispatched for the rescue mission.”

“What happened?” She started shivering. 

Pike removed his tactical vest and covered Alathea with his uniform jacket. “Space storm hit the planet and ionized the atmosphere.” He answered vaguely. “We need to get out of here.”

“Elena… How is she?”

“Thea...” Pike worried that the head wound was more severe than he originally thought. 

“You have to help her, Chris. You have to get her out. Please!”

Pike placed a comforting hand on Thea’s shoulder. “I will. But I need to have a look at you first. Is there a medical tricorder somewhere?”

Alathea nodded. “I used it to monitor Elena’s vitals. Heartbeat is strong. But she’s losing a lot of blood…”

“I will take care of her.” Pike interrupted. “Thea, where are you hurt?”

“I’m ok.” Alathea answered, fighting against Chris to get up. “I need to monitor Elena. We need to stay awake until we’re rescued.” She rambled. 

“Thea, just lie still, ok?” Pike caressed her side until she quieted. “I’m going to get the tricorder and check on Elena. But you need to lay still until I can have a good look at you, ok?” Once she acknowledged him, Pike made his way towards Elena’s body. He checked her pulse quickly but rigor mortis had already set in, suggesting that Elena had been dead for hours. 

Pike groped in the dark until he found the emergency medical bag. The two women had consumed some of the emergency rations and water but there should be enough left for their journey back. He quickly loaded the rations and water into his pant’s pockets. Given Alathea’s state, he would have to carry her for most of the trek back and he couldn’t afford taking the entire duffel bag with him. 

Pike rummaged into the bag for the tricorder and regen units. He cursed under his breath when he realized that the portable regen was out of battery. No doubt Alathea had used it on Elena without treating her own injuries. He filled a hypospray with a painkiller before making his way back towards his friend.

“Elena, how is she?” Alathea asked as soon as Pike was by her side.

“No change in her condition.” Pike had to tread carefully. He didn’t want to lie to his friend but he knew that Alathea wouldn’t accept the truth in her current mindframe. He quickly scanned her and grimaced at the results. “Thea, I need you to interpret the readings for me.” He placed the display in front of her.

“Patient has a concussion, broken arm. No other internal injury,” Alathea answered in a clinical voice. Whether she realized that she was the patient, Pike didn’t know. 

“Treatment?” 

“Regen for the arm, move to sickbay.”

“Regen unit is out.”

“You need to stabilize the fracture before moving the patient.”

“You want me to put a splint on it?” Pike asked in confirmation. Although he had aced survival training at the Academy, he had tried to avoid medical lingo as much as possible. 

Alathea nodded. “I’m cold.” She shivered violently. Pike tugged his jacket around her body but he knew it wouldn’t accomplish much. The warmth of the room was suffocating. She murmured incoherent words as she closed her eyes.

Pike shook her gently. “Hey! You need to stay with me, ok?,” he ordered in a harsher tone than he had originally intended.

“Tired.”

“I know,” Pike said more softly. “But you need to stay awake. Thea, I need to look for something to make a splint with. I need you to promise me that you will stay awake.”

“Elena…” Alathea focused her attention on Chris. “She didn’t make it, did she? She’s dead.”   


“Thea..” Chris paused, unable to lie to her. “She is dead. But she would want you to live. So you can’t give up. Please, stay awake. For her.”

Alathea nodded slowly. She felt numb and defeated. Although she didn’t care about what would happen to her, she found solace in having Chris telling her what to do. If she listened to him, she wouldn’t have to think nor feel. 

“I’ll be right back.” Pike explored the room as thoroughly as he could manage. Whatever research had been conducted on the planet was highly classified. Every drawer required a thumbprint to open and he doubted that his or Alathea’s would do the trick. Defeated, Chris took his shirt off and ripped it to create a sling for Alathea’s arm, using her own body to stabilize the break.

Alathea cried out as Chris moved her in a sitting position. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to her. “It won’t be long.” Satisfied that she would be able to make the journey, Chris zipped his jacket up and put his tactical vest back on. “I’m going to carry you across my shoulders. It won’t be comfortable but that’s the only way I can climb up the elevator shaft. I can give you something for the pain.”

Alathea nodded weakly against him. “The concussion… no painkiller. I’ll fall asleep.” 

Chris kissed her temple. “How bad is the pain?”

Alathea shrugged. “It’s ok if I don’t move.” Pike didn’t probe her any further. The confusion was most likely due to the concussion. As gently as he could, he stood up holding her against him before throwing her over his shoulders, resulting in a grunt. “Elena, you can’t leave her here. She needs medical attention.”

“I’ll come back for her, Thea.” Pike started the journey back slowly. 

“I can walk.” She argued back. “Just let me walk… I’m walking and you can carry her.”

“It’s ok, Thea. I need to come back with a rescue party for her so we can lift the heavy cabinet. She’s going to be ok.”

“I need to stay with her. You can come back for the two of us.”

“It won’t be long.” Pike started the slow ascent towards Level 10. All of his muscles were screaming in pain but he ignored them, focusing all of his attention on climbing the rungs one at a time. Left foot, right arm, right foot, repeat. He started counting in his head, knowing that each rung would get Alathea closer to the medical attention she desperately needed. 

“Dizzy…” She whispered halfway to Level 10. 

“Almost there, Thea.” Pike squeezed the hand he was holding in comfort. “We’ll take a break soon.”

Chris collapsed on his knees as soon as he reached Level 10, panting heavily. He gently positioned Alathea against the wall and pulled one of the water packs from his pocket. He pressed it against her lips. Alathea grunted and moved away. “Thea, you need to drink some water.” Chris sat down next to his friend and pulled her into his embrace, cradling her head back. “You need to drink.”

Alathea took a few sips before jerking away. Pike didn’t insist and gulped half of the container quickly. As much as he wanted to give Alathea more time, they didn’t have any. Daybreak was only a couple of hours away. “Come on, we’re almost there.”

“Leave me,” she murmured. “I’ll be ok.”

“Thea, I’m not leaving you here.”

“Pike!” 

The voice made Chris jump. “Leland?” He called back. “We’re on the other side of the corridor!” 

“Coming towards you,” Leland replied back.

“What’s your situation?” Pike identified the voice as Nimue’s. 

“I’ve found one survivor. She has a concussion and is disoriented but conscious. She’s complained of dizziness and cold and her arm is broken,” he blurted out. 

“Alright, lie the victim down on her side and keep her warm and awake. We’re coming to you.”

“Chris, the engineering team is right behind us. We’ll beam you aboard the  _ Galen _ directly.” Chris strained to hear Leland over their panting. 

Following the doctor’s instructions, Pike laid with Alathea down on her side. He wrapped himself around her, providing the much needed warmth. “Just a few more minutes, Thea,” he whispered to her. “You need to stay with me.” 

“I just want to sleep.”

“I know. But not now. You need to stay awake for a little bit longer,” Chris encouraged. He kissed her forehead and rubbed her back. 

“You shouldn’t have come. You should have let me down there. With Elena,” she retorted angrily. “You came here because you can’t stand the idea that I can be happy without you.”

Chris took a deep breath. He knew it wasn’t his friend talking but the concussion. But the feelings had to come from somewhere and he knew he was responsible for them. “Thea, I’m sorry I made you feel that way.” The apology was sincere although he had wished she could have heard it around a nice warm meal rather than in a damaged corridor on a doomed planet. “I should have never said that you married her to spite me. I didn’t… I don’t feel that way.”

“Just leave me alone!” Alathea pushed Chris away with all her strength. “Let me die! Please, let me die…” She broke down in tears.

Chris tightened his embrace around her and kissed her forehead. “Thea, I promise you that I will stay away if that’s what you want. But I’m not letting you die.”

Before Alathea could argue, Leland emerged from underneath a collapsed beam, closely followed by Nimue and the engineering team. As the engineers installed the pattern enhancers, Nimue kneeled down next to Alathea, scanning her. Pike scrambled up to his feet, letting the doctor do his work. “How is she?” He asked worriedly.

“She’ll be ok,” Nimue answered before injecting Alathea with a sedative. “The same can’t be said for you, however.”

“The captain wants to see you in the conference room as soon as we beam aboard the  _ Galen _ ,” Leland added.

\---------

After making sure that his friend received the best medical care under the current crisis, Pike quickly showered and changed into a clean uniform before making his way to the  _ Galen _ ' s conference room. The captains of all the ships involved in the rescue operation along with fleet captain Cornwell were assembled around the small table.

“Please, have a seat,” Cornwell ordered as soon as Pike entered the crowded room. The only remaining chair was at the head of the table, affording him a view of the disapproving officers. Once Pike was seated, Cornwell continued. “Captain Murphy is writing you up for disciplinary action for reckless behavior, refusal to obey a direct order from a senior officer, striking another officer, and endangering the life of five civilians. His recommendation is to have your Starfleet commission terminated. After hearing the reports from Doctor Nimue and Lieutenant Leland, I would tend to agree with him. However, Captain April thinks that you deserve to give us your side of the story, Lieutenant. So please, enlighten us as to why you decided to disobey a direct order and endanger the lives of your comrades and civilians.”

“May I speak freely, sir?”

“By all means,” Cornwell sat back in her chair, examining the young Lieutenant. His record was exemplary but this severe lapse of judgement would most certainly cost him his career.

“Starfleet is a promise. I give my life for you; and you give your life for me. Nobody is left behind. We were leaving two women behind, sir.”

Cornwell exchanged a quick look with April. These principles were ingrained in the cadets at the Academy but most forgot these principles after a few years of service, when the reality of space travel more often than not conflicted with Starfleet ideals. But Pike lived by them. In many ways, he represented the best Starfleet had to offer. “But the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few,” she countered.

“In this case, I was only endangering myself to save two civilians,” Pike retorted. “I knew Lieutenant Leland could fly the shuttle. I didn’t punch him hard enough to incapacitate him.”

“So you admit to the charges?” Murphy asked his crewmember incredulously.

“Yes, sir.” 

April chuckled. “I think the lieutenant has a perfect explanation. Don’t you, Captain Cornwell?”

Cornwell turned to April. “Then, he becomes your responsibility. I hear you’re in need of a helmsman aboard the  _ Aryabhatta _ ?”

“What do you say, son?” April addressed Pike directly. “Ready for a new challenge? Piloting a starship is a whole new ball game.”

“I’m ready, sir.” Pike acknowledged. 

“We are in agreement, then. Captain, I believe you have the power to make the transfer here,” April added to Cornwell’s benefit.

“I do. Captain Murphy?”

“I have no objections.” The captain of the  _ USS Chatelet _ grumbled. 

“Lieutenant Pike, I will await your arrival aboard the  _ Aryabhatta  _ at 16:00 hours. That should give you plenty of time to check on your friend.” April smiled at his new bridge officer. 

“Thank you, sir.”

“Dismissed.” Cornwell ordered.

Pike rushed out of the room, replaying the conversation in his head and trying to make sense of what had just happened. One minute he had almost been out of Starfleet and the next he was being transferred under the command of one of the most decorated captains in Starfleet’s history. 

As Pike entered the infirmary, he scanned the room quickly in search of his friend. He found her laying on a biobed on the other side of sickbay, her back to him. He made his way towards her slowly, unsure of what to say. Did Alathea even want to see him?

“Thea…” He called out. The brunette turned around on the bed. Her eyes were red from crying. Chris sat down on the edge of the bed and caressed her lower back soothingly. “How are you feeling?”

Alathea shrugged. “I don’t know.” All she could feel was a crushing emptiness inside. No matter how many times she replayed the events of the past 24 hours in her head, wondering what she could have done differently, the reality always came rushing back in. Elena was dead. She had failed to save her wife. She screamed as images of Elena’s final moments repeated in her mind. She threw herself into Chris’ arms and buried her face into his neck.

“Shh…” Chris rocked them on the bed until Alathea quieted. 

Once she had no more tears left to shed, Alathea fisted Chris’ uniform tightly. “She’s gone. She’s gone because I’ve failed her. Because I wasn’t good enough to help her!”

“Thea, you didn’t fail her. She loved you. And I know you love her. She will always be alive here.” Chris placed his palm on Alathea’s chest. “You will keep her memories alive.” 

“You were right.”

“About what?”

“I married Elena because I was afraid of being alone. After you went to Mars and I was alone on Earth, I was that scared little girl in a brace again. Then, I met Elena. And she reminded me of you. I thought I could have the same connection as I have with you.” Alathea pulled away from Chris. “When she asked me to marry her and move to Iggisia, I just agreed because I didn’t want to be alone. We tried to make it work, Chris. But we’ve just been fighting ever since we got here. She blamed it on you. I blamed it on you. The reason I was down in her lab was because we were arguing. I told her…” Alathea’s voice started shaking. “I told her that I didn’t know if I ever loved her. This is the last thing I said to her before the earthquake hit. She died knowing that I never loved her.”

“It was an argument. She knew you didn’t mean it.”

“She died because we were arguing. She wanted to get away from the house. We were supposed to go to the capital today. She died because of me.” Alathea cried out the last few words.

Chris pulled his friend back into his embrace. “You’re not responsible, Thea. She could have gone to the capital by herself. Or she could have been trapped in your apartment building. It wasn’t your fault. She loved you. And she would want you to forgive yourself.”

“I’m not sure that I can, Chris.”

“I can ask for a leave of absence. We can go wherever you want.”

“No. You were right about one thing on our last communication.” 

Chris frowned. “I don’t believe that you married her to spite me.”

“You said that I spent my entire life craving others’ approval. I went through the treatment to please my father. I went to the Academy to please you. I chose the medical field so Dr. Boyce could be proud of me one day. I went to New Delhi to please Nathan. But I never asked myself what I really wanted to do.”

“What do you want to do?”   


“I don’t know. But I think this is something I have to find out by myself.”

Chris placed a tender kiss on the top of her head. “Thea, whatever you decide, you’ll be great at it.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Because you’re the most intelligent and compassionate person I have ever met.”

“Promise me something. Ten years from now, we will meet on Risa. And we will celebrate our accomplishments.”

“I hope to see you before then.”

“Promise me.”

Chris locked his pinky finger with her. “I promise.”


	8. Chapter 8

_ Stardate 1873.6. USS Enterprise, in orbit around Upothas II _

_ Acting captain log, supplemental. We have received no words from the planet despite our repeated hails. As far as we know, only the members of the second landing party have been able to find refuge inside the large underground complex. Mr Spock and Br’Tar have spent the last hour mapping the passageways, hoping to find a way to reunite the landing party. In doing so, they have uncovered further evidence of some planet-scale catastrophe that hit the inhabitants some 400 years ago… _

Una’s logging was interrupted by the ready room’s door chime.

“Come in!” She said as she tapped a few commands on the desk display to stop the recording.The door whooshed open to let a very haggard Dr. Boyce in. “Phil, how is Chris?”

Boyce took a seat opposite Una. “Alive,” was his only terse response.

“Surgery?” Una did her best to keep the anticipation out of her voice. Boyce was definitely in shock and she didn’t want to put him on the defensive. She knew he blamed himself as much as she held herself responsible for the situation on the planet. Boyce should have relieved Chris from duty but it had been her responsibility to prevent him from beaming down.

“As well as could be expected.” Boyce unsuccessfully tried to hide the shakiness from his voice. “Mayweather managed to remove the fragments and close. But…” The doctor took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. “He is in an unbearable amount of pain.”

Una closed her eyes and fought a wave of nausea. She had witnessed Pike stay on the bridge with late-stage Rigelian fever to fight off the Klingons. She had spent five days with him in a dank prison cell after his shoulder had been dislocated. She knew first hand that Pike had a high tolerance for pain and that he often hid it very well. 

“He had two seizures following the surgery triggered by the pain. There is nothing Mayweather can do down there. We need to get to them or at the very least, send them pain medication and antibiotics.”

“Phil, the storm is making it impossible for us to get a lock on their position. Whatever was blocking our scans of the village is now being spread everywhere by the wind.” Una keyed a few commands to display the latest weather report from science. “The storm is covering half of the western continent. We might have a short window of time to extract them in a shuttle when the eye will be directly overhead in five days.”

“Chris won’t last that long.” Boyce stood up abruptly and started pacing the length of the small ready room. Constitution-class starships weren’t designed with a captain’s ready-room in mind but Pike had insisted on transforming the conference room during their last refit. After all, the conference room was never used without the captain present so it could serve both functions easily. “He will either die from shock or sepsis before then. The bullet shattered his femur. Thea needs to stabilize the fracture but when she attempted it, he went into convulsions before she could even get to apply pressure on the wound. And without stabilization, the pain will just intensify. It’s a vicious circle.” Phil stopped and looked directly at Una. “He’s also running a fever. That’s probably from shock but I wouldn’t rule out infection. He needs painkillers and antibiotics now or we’re going to lose him.”

Una tapped on the monitor and flicked her hand to display the holographic rendition of the mountain in-between her and Phil. “Spock, Landais, and Johnson are here.” She pointed at the red dot at the base of the mountain, directly located across from the village. The infamous field that had started the dispute was stretching between the two. “As far as Spock can tell, this seems to be the command center of the underground base. He’s managed to access the database but the Enterprise’s computer is having trouble interpreting the language. From the logs they’ve recovered, we think some kind of plague caused the original inhabitants to take refuge in the mountains.” Una tapped on the desk to show the muted video of a feverish alien. The alien bear a resemblance to humans, except for the ridges on their ears and forehead. 

“How is any of this helping the captain?” Boyce asked angrily. At any other time, he would have been fascinated by the mystery in front of him but his friend’s life was on the line.

“I’m getting to it, doctor,” Una replied tersely. She pointed to the blue lines criss-crossing the mountain. “It seems that the base was constructed to separate the inhabitants into pods. Probably as a means for quarantine. Each pod is composed of two subpods linked together by a large chamber with a dedicated entrance from the outside.” 

“You think that Pike and the others are in one of these pods.”

Una keyed another sequence and another red dot appeared on the holographic simulation on the furthest corner of the underground complex from what they assumed to be the control center. “Here to be precise. This is our best guess based on some tricorder triangulation on the ground, Br’tar’s memories of their journey from the village, and the description of the main chamber entrance on the mountain side.” Une highlighted one of the subpods in green. “ The infirmary is here. The other subpod is a lot more damaged but also the only one that can be accessed internally. Br’tar is currently taking readings on their side. Hopefully, we can reunite the away team. Spock is carrying the secondary medical kit. Won’t be enough to fully relieve Chris’ pain but enough so we can stabilize and move him.”

Phil exhaled in relief. “How long?”

“Hopefully by morning. But if these aliens suffered from some sort of plague...”

“You’re afraid that the away team could also be infected and contaminate each other,” Boyce finished. “I doubt what caused the plague is still around. This place looks like it has been abandoned for several decades.”

“Four hundred years. Give or take."

“If you need my medical opinion, Number One, the miniscule risk of the away team to be infected doesn’t outweigh the certainty of the captain’s dying unless we can provide him with painkillers and antibiotics.” 

“Understood.”

“The secondary kit may buy us a few days but we need to get him back onboard ASAP.”

“We’re working on it.” Una rotated the display and overlaid the terrain layer on top of the tunnels. “There is a small clearing here. Big enough for a shuttle. It’s about 20 minutes from this entrance.” She pointed to a pod somewhat adjacent to the one currently occupied by the second half of the away team.

“How long of a window do we have?”

“About an hour.”   


“Which means the away team needs to relocate to the secondary pod before we even leave the ship.” Phil wiped his face with his palm. Even with some pain relief, moving Chris without a gurney would be excruciating. “I’ll let Mayweather know.”

Phil motioned to leave but Una called him back. “Phil, what are his chances?”

“Not good.” The doctor shook his head. “Assuming no infection and that Spock can make it to them by morning, I’d say 50%. And that’s taking into account that we’re talking about Chris.”   


“And with an infection? Can Mayweather…” Una swallowed hard. “If we amputate the leg…”

“It won’t change the outcome. The bullet was lodged all the way to the marrow. It’s already spread. Besides, Chris wouldn’t survive that surgery. Not with the kind of anesthetics in the secondary kit and the state he’s already in. Not to mention that they have nothing to cut through the strongest bone in the human’s body. At this point, all we can do is provide him with some supportive care and try to get him to rest.”

“Let me know if there is anything I can do.”

“Get me to that planet as soon as possible even if it means staying down there while the storm passes,” Boyce grumbled. “I’ll work with engineering to get a shuttle retrofitted as a medical pod. That will give Chris more of a fighting chance.”

Una nodded. “I can’t stop you from preparing a shuttle. But I can’t ask anyone to fly it through that storm nor condemn themselves on that planet.”

“I think you’ll find more than one volunteer for this mission.”

“I know. But whatever my feelings for Chris might be, I cannot let two officers sacrifice themselves for the one.”

Boyce chuckled. “Sometimes the need of the many is better served by saving the one at the expense of the few. The universe is a better place because Chris is in it. And I will happily give my life for his if it means that he can continue to make a difference.”

“I hope it won’t come to this, doctor,” Number One responded sincerely.

_ “Bridge to Number One.” _ Garison’s voice resonated through the comm.  _ “The computer managed to translate the logs Mr. Spock recovered on the planet. You’ll want to see this.” _

“On my way, Mr. Garison! Excellent job!”

\-----------

“Cold,” Pike whispered. Despite his best effort, he couldn’t control the shaking nor the tears streaming down his face. He had experienced pain in his life but this was excruciating.

Alathea placed another blanket over him, tucking him as snuggly as possible without moving his leg. “Better?” She asked, soothingly caressing his forehead. She was powerless to help him. Starfleet Academy had taught her to deal with most situations on the ground but none of her classes had covered performing surgery without anesthesia while trapped in an alien bunker with primitive medical technology. 

Pike shook his head. He sobbed as another wave of pain emanating from his leg spread through his entire body. “I can’t do this.”

“You’re doing great, Chris.” Chris’ conditions ran deeper than the physical injury. Since her arrival on Enterprise, Pike had kept her at arm’s length but from what she had gathered from her conversations with Boyce, he definitely suffered from PTSD. He had refused to talk to the ship’s surgeon, citing the classified nature of his mission. Only Number One had an inkling of what had transpired while the Enterprise had been in spacedock and she was as tight-lipped as her captain. “You need to try to get some rest.”

“Sleep?” Chris chuckled. “Have you ever tried to sleep while feeling like your leg is being torn apart on every breath?” He added sarcastically.

Alathea sighed. “If you close your eyes, you’ll fall asleep. Trust me.” She cupped his cheek and caressed him softly. “Please.”

Pike turned his face away from her and shook his head to dislodge her hand. “I can’t,” he said between clenched teeth. 

“When was the last time you had a good night's sleep?”

“You’re out of line, doctor,” Pike answered angrily. “Maybe I should break your leg and see if you can sleep,” he snapped at her.

Alathea took a step back. In all of their years together, she had seen Chris angry. But he had never been mean. Nor had he ever threatened harm on anyone. Pike might be one of the most decorated combat officers in Starfleet but he never engaged unless he was forced to do so. What had happened to him? “Fine,” she answered before placing his communicator next to him. “I’m going to check on Br’tar. Call if you need anything.”

Alathea stormed out of the infirmary, barely containing her tears. Her own fatigue was catching up with her ability to perform her job and she had to remind herself that Chris may not be her friend anymore but he was still her captain and she had a duty to help him. As she entered the kitchen area, Alathea removed her uniform jacket and pulled her shirt up. She grimaced as she let her fingers graze over her ribcage, where a large bruise had already turned a shade of purple. She ran her tricorder over the area and breathed a sigh of relief when it informed her that she had sustained only minor injuries.

“Doctor?” Br’tar rushed towards the woman standing in the kitchen. “Are you hurt?”

Alathea jumped at the intrusion and pulled her shirt down. “It’s nothing,” she assured him.

Br’tar nodded, unconvinced by her assertion. “How is the captain?”

“No change.” Her tone was more exasperated than she had intended but Br’tar didn’t comment on it. “I need warm water to clean the wound,” she added as she zipped her jacket back on. “And I’m probably going to need you to hold him still.”

“Aye.” Br’tar started with the task of warming the needed water. As he did so, he updated the doctor on their situation. 

“How long before Spock gets here?” She asked hopefully, the first sliver she had felt since they had beamed on the planet.

“Morning at the earliest. The tunnels are badly damaged but our scans don’t reveal complete collapse. As far as the secondary chamber is concerned, it is completely out of power. I’m not sure this section of the bunker was ever powered on or inhabited in the first place.” Alathea nodded. Br’tar interpreted this as a sign to continue with his briefing. “According to Enterprise, they won’t be able to send a shuttle for us in the next five days. We have plenty of food in our emergency packs to last this long and water is not a problem.”

“Medical supplies are,” Alathea reminded him.

“Yes,” Br’tar conceded. “According to Boyce, the secondary medical kit should tie us until we’re rescued.”

“It might be enough to take the edge off but it won’t stop the pain,” Alathea thought aloud. “Enough to help him through the worst of it. Not enough to provide any real relief.”

“He will need his doctor… and his friend.” Alathea bit her lower lip hard to prevent the tears from falling.  _ I don’t know the man in the infirmary at all. _ When the silence between them became uncomfortable, Br’tar continued with his briefing. “We will need to relocate to a pod closest to the landing site.”

“Move Chris? It will be torture!” Alathea  chastised herself for the outburst. 

“Dr. Boyce suggested we wait until the last minute…” Br’tar started.

“Because Chris will most likely be unconscious in five days,” Alathea finished for him. She hugged herself tightly. It was Elena all over again. She had been unable to help her wife then, resulting in Elena’s untimely death. She couldn’t help Chris now. But she refused to acknowledge his fate. As a doctor, she knew his chances to survive were slim to none. But as the person closest to him, she refused to face the grim reality of their current situation. “I should get back to him.” Alathea grabbed the bucket of warm water Br’tar was handed her. “Thank you, lieutenant. For everything.”

“Nobody will be left behind.” He placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. “Spock and the rest of the away team will be here in the morning. We’ll have four days to move the captain as comfortably as possible. Enterprise won’t let us down.”

Alathea smiled at his somewhat naive faith. She had felt this way once before the events on Iggisia. Chris had felt the same way too until the burden of command had snapped him back to reality. “I know.”

“Do you need my help?” Br’tar asked as he let the doctor go. He had served on Enterprise long enough to know how much of a private person his captain was. Pike’s open-door policy to his crew was a one-way street: he always provided a sounding board or a shoulder to cry on but he never unburdened himself to his crew, with the exception of perhaps Boyce, Number One, and, hopefully, Alathea Mayweather. 

Alathea shook her head. “I’ll be ok.” She forced a smile before excusing herself to make her way towards the main infirmary. 

As she entered the room, she caught the sadness and pain reflected in Pike’s eyes. But as soon as he felt her presence, his captain’s mask slipped back on. “It’s just me.” Pike’s stoic expression remained. “I need to clean your wound,” she informed him as she settled the water on the ground below his leg. “I’ll be gentle. I promise.” Pike jerked away as she reached out to caress his cheek. Alathea suppressed a sigh and maintained the professional distance Chris was asking for. She carefully pulled back the blankets and removed the blood-soaked bandage. Chris fisted the sheets and clenched his jaw as soon as Alathea touched the very sensitive area. Alathea proceeded to clean the wound and rebandaged his leg before running a quick scan. She then manually checked for his tibial pulse before squeezing his swollen foot slightly. “Can you feel that?” Chris nodded. “Can you try to move your toes?” The captain complied with a hiss. 

Satisfied that he was healing as well as could be under the circumstances, Alathea placed the covers back and washed her hands in the still warm water. As she did so, she updated her captain on their situation. 

“Any news from the original landing party?” Pike asked. “If they managed to escape, they could be in this underground bunker. Tell Spock to search the other pods before coming here.”

“No.” Alathea answered firmly, exasperated by Pike’s sometimes misplaced sense of self-sacrifice. “Spock is coming here with the antibiotics and painkillers first. We’ll assess after that.”

“I can order him to start the search.”

“And as the senior medical officer on this mission, I’ll override that order. And I have a feeling that Number One will concur with my assessment. We don’t know if any members of the away team survived or made it here. What we do know is that you’re not going to make it unless I can start giving you antibiotics and enough painkillers to try to stabilize the bone without you seizing,” she said firmly. “I’m not out of line here, Captain.” She stressed his title. “And you know that,” she challenged. When Pike remained silent, she continued. “I’m not asking you to try to sleep. I’m ordering you to do so. Now, close your eyes.”

Pike locked eyes with Mayweather and started a battle of wills he was sure to lose. Deep down, he knew Alathea was right. He was exhausted and had just been fighting off sleep for the better part of the afternoon. If he closed his eyes…

_ Pike felt himself floating over the dark sea. As the corridor materialized around him, he already knew where he was. A few seconds later, he saw the reflection of a mechanized chair slowly moving towards him. Pike screamed… _

… and jolted himself awake. He gasped in pain and cried out. 

“You’re ok,” Alathea reassured. “It’s ok. Shhh… you’re ok.” She soothed him, keeping a firm hand on his hip to prevent Pike from moving his injured leg. “You’re with me.” She ran her fingers through his hair, waiting for Chris to catch his breath. 

“I can’t sleep,” he sobbed out. “I haven’t been able to since… since the incident.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Chris shook his head. “I can’t.”

Alathea didn’t pressure him further. Chris definitely needed counseling but this was neither the time nor the place. “Can you take deep breaths for me? Like we did earlier?”

Pike nodded and reached out for the hand over his hip. He squeezed it hard, anchoring himself into the present. His friend was here. Would she be here when they put him in the chair? Would she stay with him after he’d become a lump of flesh? Or would he have to bear that pain alone? He had accepted a long time ago that the life of a starship captain was a lonely one. But he had never expected to finish his life imprisoned in his own body. 

“Chris, take deep, slow breaths. Just concentrate on breathing,” Alathea reminded them as she watched his inner struggle play out of his face. She gently massaged his skull and rubbed her thumb over his temple. “Do you remember the first time Phil snuck you into my hospital room?”

“After he gave me a lecture on teenage hormones and a stern warning not to sleep with you?”

Alathea laughed at the memory. “I don’t know who turned the brightest shade of red that day. But yes, I mean after that. I just had my second therapy and they lowered the sensitivity on my harness. The pull from Earth’s gravity felt like all my bones were being shattered. There wasn’t much anyone could do about the pain but you did. You brought me holos from home. From all the places we loved to ride to and hide from the world. Do you remember the first time you took me to your secret place?”

Chris nodded, slightly relaxing on the bed. “The summer after we met. I taught you how to ride. Once you were more comfortable, we went to the mountains.”

Alathea smiled at him. The trembling had diminished and his grip on her hand wasn’t as strong. “You took me on a picnic there. The view was incredible.” Chris closed his eyes. “We stayed until nightfall when you told me about all the stars and the worlds you wanted to visit.” Alathea kept talking to Chris until his breathing evened out. She kissed his forehead and murmured “sweet dreams”.

\-----------

“What have you got?” Number One addressed Garison as soon as she entered the bridge closely followed by Boyce. The two officers came to stand behind the communication specialist.

“As we suspected, most entries are personal logs. Some of them are more relevant than others. I’ll get to that in a minute,” Garison started agitatedly. “But first, you should see this.” He keyed a few commands and a text appeared on his screen. “It contains much of their recorded history. It’s fascinating. Dr. Lee in sociology summarized the relevant portions. Their evolution mirrored that of humans, including a period of time where the entirety of the universe was explained by a deity named Vorachi.”

Number One frowned. “Vorachi as in V’r’ch? From the villagers’ sacred texts?”

Garrison nodded. “This is the theory.”

“So they believe in a god, like most species we have encountered.”

“Yes, but there is an important difference. In most of the cultures we have encountered, religion and science often conflicted for a time. On Earth, this led to the Dark Ages. Today, there are very few humans on Earth who still believe in the ancient religions although they are still actively studied. The captain’s father was a foremost expert in Christianity and a prominent scientist at the Daystrom’s Institute. Religion as seen through the scientific lens.” The look on Number One’s face told Garison that he needed to speed the lecture along. “Anyhow, the people on Upothas believed in Vorachi but not as the way we understand our gods. Vorachi was also their word for science.”

“They worshiped science?” Boyce asked. Number One felt an instant connection to this new species. Any beings who embraced logic and the rigors of scientific principles ought to be enlightened enough for a proper first contact without conflicting with the Prime Directive.

“To a fault,” Garrison answered Boyce in a somber tone. “About six centuries ago, they discovered genetics. And much like 20th century Earth, certain people in power believed that it was the key to absolute power.”

“So they started their own Eugenics Wars?” Number One was getting impatient.

“Not quite. See, they literally worshiped science. For them, power wasn’t about conquering land. It was about piercing the mysteries of the universe. And they thought that the only way they could achieve it was by speeding up their evolution.”

“So they started a selective breeding program,” Boyce supplied.

“Yes. They called it the Great Experiment. And this led to the creation of three castes in their society: the breeders, geneticists responsible for keeping the breeding line as pure as possible, the elites, who were thought to be the purest of them to continue the line, and the rest of their people, responsible for catering to the other two groups. The elites and breeders called them the children and felt responsible for them in a somewhat parental fashion.”

“I’m assuming this led to a revolution.” Number One asked. “And that the breeders and elites lost.”

“That’s where treating science as a deity came to play in the upper castes’ favor. The elites were also considered priests, the only vessels to Vorachi. The Great Experiment was a way for a few to achieve the next stage of evolution and understand all the knowledge that Vorachi possessed. Then, the elites would be able to help everyone attain their full potential. Most of the people saw it as a privilege to serve in the Great Experiment.”

Number One frowned. “Obviously something went wrong.”

“Very wrong.” Garrison swept through various entries before settling on a picture of an alien resembling the one Number One had seen on the logs. But this being looked different. Their forehead ridges were far more pronounced, their eyes were bigger, their skin darker, and their head much larger than their body. “According to the breeders’ projections, this is what their last form should have looked like. So they concentrated on a program highlighting these traits. All their efforts were concentrated on the Great Experiment and within a matter of years, they managed to fully map their genome and started genetic manipulation.”

Boyce whistled. “That’s impressive. It took humans decades to get to that point. And according to the Vulcan high council, we’re one of the fastest species to have evolved technologically.”

“As I said, ALL of their effort went into the Great Experiment. The breeders were selected based on their aptitude in medicine, genetics, and biology. All other branches of science were disregarded. Although their knowledge of genetics is far superior to ours, everything else should be at about 20th century Earth level of development.” 

“They started selective breeding before a full understanding of genetic diseases,” Boyce noted.

Garison nodded. “Within a century, they achieved more prominent forehead ridges and larger skulls but they also bred more genetic diseases. They were dying.”

“Why didn’t they try to breed with the third caste?” Boyce wondered aloud.

“Because it would have caused a revolution. The Great Experiment was a failure but their entire society revolved around it, doctor,” Number One supplied. “The curse of religion.”

“So they decided to exile themselves,” Garison confirmed. “The breeders and the elites announced that they needed to enter the last phase of the Great Experiment in the mountains. They went there to die. The breeders tried to fix the elites’ DNA and start a breeding program to slow the degradation process but they ultimately failed.”

“So it wasn’t a plague,” Boyce affirmed. “They died of genetic degradation.”

“How about the rest of the people?” Number One asked.

“Unknown from the logs. The breeders and elites told their children that they should under no circumstances enter the caves or they would be struck by Vorachi. So the people declared the zone between the village and the caves a no man’s land. Violating this order is punishable by death.”

Number One pinched the bridge of her nose, attempting to ward off the oncoming headache. “Which our first away team violated. And if they learn that our second away team is in the caves, they will be put to death immediately as well.” She shook her head. “You said that their technological advancement wouldn’t be much beyond 20th century Earth?”

“Correct.”

“Which means their world falls under the Prime Directive. We have to limit contact with them and if we do establish any, we need to be as conspicuous as possible. What about the signal that got us here in the first place?”

“Let me introduce you to Orinch, a breeder.” Garison pressed a few commands on his console and the face of an alien with a smooth forehead filled the small screen.  _ “Day 54765 of the Great Experiment. Only a few of the elites remain. After several unsuccessful attempts at repairing their damaged DNA, we have stopped allowing breeding among them. We expect that our Great Leaders will go extinct in the next decade. As for the breeders, several suggestions have been made: remain here and die by attrition, leave the cave and return to the village, or leave the cave and settle somewhere else on the planet. The first option hasn’t been very popular. The second is highly unethical. How would we explain our failure to our children who have served the Great Experiment for generations? As for the third… well, let’s just say that none of us have the skills required to start anew. But we are scientists and today, I will present a fourth option to the council. If the Great Experiment has told us one thing is that we are not alone in the universe. We can transmit a distress signal and hope that a civilization more advanced than our own can help us solve our current medical crisis. Even if they can’t arrive on time, they can help our children.”  _ Garison cut the rest of the rest of the message.

“We need to tell these people what happened with their Great Experiment!” Boyce exclaimed.

“No, doctor. The Prime Directive applies here. Garison, get me Starfleet Command.”

“Aye, sir.”


	9. Chapter 9

_ Year 2251, USS Enterprise on route to Niribu _

Pike leaned back in the captain’s chair as he read the morning briefings. Number One had estimated the small fleet’s ETA to six hours. Enterprise had been tasked to accompany the medical vessel USS  _ Pittman _ to Niribu, who had recently been struck down by a plague. Two hundred million Niribians were dead and another billion was affected. The planet’s medical system was buckling under the stress, forcing the Niribian council to contact Starfleet for help. 

“Pike to Boyce. Meet me in the conference room in ten minutes. I want an update from each department. I also want you and the CMO of the  _ Pittman _ to coordinate with public health officials on Niribu.”

_ “Aye, Captain,”  _ came the strained voice of Phil Boyce. Upon taking command of the  _ Enterprise _ , Pike had managed to convince the doctor out of retirement. Boyce was the best in Starfleet and given the  _ Enterprise _ ’s mission, his crew deserved nothing less. 

“Number One, you have the bridge. Mr. Spock, you’re with me,” Pike ordered as he sprang out of his chair. His new science officer had joined the Enterprise only a month ago but the kid had proven insightful on more than one occasion. 

“Aye, sir,” they acknowledged in unison.

Spock followed his captain inside the turbolift. “Deck three”. As the turbolift hummed to life for their short trip, Pike turned towards his science officer. “What do we know about the situation on the planet?”

“Haven’t you had a chance to read this morning’s briefing, captain?”

“I’m asking for your opinion, Mr. Spock,” Pike responded, slightly exasperated.

“Volatile, captain.” Spock paused. “The political leaders were not held to high esteem before the crisis began and they haven’t been able to put in place preventive measures to stop the spread of the virus. Part of this failure can certainly be blamed on poor planning. But for the most part, the people distrust their leaders and have resisted the few preventive measures the government has put in place.”

Pike nodded as the turbolift came to a halt. “Could this virus have been engineered as a segment of the population seems to believe? Niribu is very close to the Romulan neutral zone.”

“Unlikely, Captain. But Dr. Mayweather would be in a better position to address this point.”

“Dr. Mayweather? Alathea Mayweather?” Pike came to a halt. Pike hadn’t heard of Alathea’s whereabouts in over sixteen years and his science officer casual statement had the same effect as a bucket of cold water.

Pike hadn’t seen his friend since the events on Iggisia. All he knew is that she had returned to Earth. At first, he had respected her wishes and gave her space and time to grieve. But after a few months and several unsuccessful attempts to get in contact with her, Pike had reached out to her father. The admiral had been polite but firm in following his daughter’s request for privacy. As time passed, Pike had stopped searching for his friend, hoping that wherever she was, Alathea was finally happy. 

“That is correct, sir,” Spock continued, seemingly unaware of his captain’s emotional turmoil. “She is in charge of the emergency field response team aboard the Pittman. But her background is in virology…”

“I know about her background, Mister Spock,” Pike interrupted curtly. Had Boyce known about this?

As they entered the conference room, Pike’s piercing stare settled on Dr. Boyce. “Report, doctor.”

“Most of the population is concentrated on the southern continent, in four large cities.” Boyce pointed to the white dots on the computer screen. “This is where the pandemic is most active. Our first task is to relieve the pressure on the local hospitals. Dr. Bayley is ready to deploy portable pods here, here, and here around each city. The  _ Pittman _ will be responsible for coordinating the deployment of the pods and medical personnel. She’s asking for the  _ Enterprise _ to provide additional engineering and medical teams to help the local hospitals and security teams to transport patients in-between critical care centers. The  _ Pittman _ should also be able to accommodate up to three hundred additional patients.”

“What about the virus? What precautions should our teams take?"   


"Preliminary analysis suggests that it is of no threat to other species. The virus attacks a specific protein marker unique to Niribian physiology. But out of caution, I suggest standard protective equipment for class II diseases. Any on-the-ground personnel should be made aware of the early symptoms: persistent dry cough, shortness of breath, headaches.”

“And for the Niribians? Any progress towards a cure or a vaccine?”

Boyce shook his head. “None so far. The  _ Pittman _ ’s virology team has been studying the disease since we left Starbase 6 but without physical samples, they cannot make any conjecture at this point.”

Pike nodded. “Very well, doctor. Mister Spock, anything to add?” 

“This disease is highly contagious but the short incubation period should play in our advantage. Once the immediate hospitals crisis has been averted, we should concentrate our effort on tracing and isolating any Niribian presenting with the initial symptoms of the disease.” 

“Will they trust Starfleet more than their local government?”

“Unknown at this point, Captain.”

“Understood. Use any personnel you both deem necessary. Coordinate with Number One. Dismissed.” As his crew was preparing to leave, Pike held the doctor back, “Phil, a word, please?”

“How long have you known?” Pike asked as soon as Spock left the room.

Phil collapsed on the nearest chair. “That Thea is on the  _ Pittman _ ?” Pike was grateful that the doctor didn’t beat around the bush. “About two years. Since she joined the crew.”

“Two. Years?” Pike started pacing the small room furiously. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because she asked me not to. Chris, all I can tell you is that I’ve been in touch with Thea for the past sixteen years, right after she came from Iggisia. But she should be the one to talk to you about it.”

“Why hasn’t she tried to get in touch with me?”

“Chris, I’ll tell you the same thing I told her. Talk to her.” Boyce motioned to leave. “I’ll keep you updated on our progress.”

“Thanks, doctor.” Chris ran his fingers through his hair. He had forgotten about most of the pandemic on Niribu. All he could think about was Thea. His heart was racing in his chest.

\------------

_ Five days later, Niribu’s central government tower _

“Captain Pike!'' Bayley called out as she ran towards the elusive man in charge of the pandemic situation. “May I have a word with you?” She had been trying to talk to the captain for the last couple of days but Pike had ignored her requests. They needed more resources but Pike had been reluctant to send more manpower down to the planet’s surface, citing security concerns. Although she was well aware of their proximity to the Romulan neutral zone, the Romulans had never shown interest in Niribu. Surely, the  _ Enterprise _ could spare security officers to contain the civil unrest. 

“Absolutely, doctor.” 

The man’s smile was disarming. Despite her exasperation, Bayley continued in a softer tone. “The situation is out of control out there! We need to get people inside their homes and isolated from each other!”

“I’m well aware of the problem, doctor. I had to fight a crowd to come here.” They could still hear the roars from inside the government building. Starfleet’s presence had been received as a threat to Niribu’s sovereignty and distorted by a faction known as ‘fight for freedom’ to overthrow the government. FFF had been around for the past three years, calling for anarchy and a coup. They had been considered a small, mostly inoffensive fringe group but their popularity had increased since the beginning of the pandemic. 

“We need security personnel.”

“I’m aware of your request but I cannot spare any men for crowd control at this time. Starfleet is sending reinforcement.”

“They’re at least three weeks away. How many deaths are you willing to place on your conscience, captain?” The barely disguised anger in Pike’s face made the doctor take a step back. “I’m sorry,” she quickly apologized. “It was uncalled for.”

“We’re all under stress, doctor,” Pike said in a conciliatory tone. He was well aware that he was as responsible for the lives on this planet as the ones on the  _ Enterprise _ . Billions of people were relying on him to make the right decision. “But I came here for a report on a cure or a vaccine.”

“Of course.” The doctor straightened her posture, adopting an all-business attitude. “None of the drugs we’ve tried had any success in slowing down the progression of the disease nor the severity of the symptoms. Mortality rates are holding at 80%. We have tried plasma transfusion from survivors but this has had a limited effect. Dr. Mayweather is working on a potential solution. She can brief you on it. I believe you two know each other?”

Pike ignored the comment. “Where is Dr. Mayweather?” 

“In her lab. Follow me.” The doctor headed for the elevator. “Pod 4 and 5 are at capacity. We have started beaming the overflow aboard the  _ Pittman _ ,” she continued with her briefing as they rode to the fourth floor of the building. “The situation in other cities is the same.”

“After the medical briefing, I will talk to the Niribian council. But Starfleet is not in the business of meddling with other worlds’ affairs. I will not tell them how to handle the FFF.”

“With all due respect, sir, Starfleet has been meddling in other people’s business since its inception. And our meddling could help us save lives.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Pike grumbled as they stepped out of the lift. “But I will not compromise what makes us who we are for personal safety.”

“Captain Pike, maybe it’s time for you to visit one of the pods and hold the hand of a victim bleeding out of every orifice as their organs liquify. You may have a change of heart.” Bayley stopped in the middle of the corridor.

“Doctor,” Pike’s tone was firm. “I will talk to the council. But unless we have something to offer these people besides a place to die, they will continue to gather outside. Sending military troops will only put fuel on the fire. As a Starfleet captain, I will not overthrow the local government and on a personal note, I agree with their approach.”

“Yes, sir. But I would like for my disapproval to be noted in your official log.”

Pike nodded. “As you wish. Now shall we?” 

Reluctantly, Bayley led Pike down the corridor towards the last door on the right. His breath hitched slightly as he caught a glimpse of his friend talking with an ensign. Time had been kind to her; Alathea looked almost as young as she had almost two decades ago. 

“Dr. Mayweather.” Bayley called. Alathea’s jaw dropped open as soon as she saw Christopher Pike. “Captain Pike would like an update on your cure. I believe you’re already acquainted?”

“Dr. Mayweather,” Pike formally greeted. 

“Captain Pike.” She had been dreading this moment for the past two weeks. But now that Chris was in front of her, she couldn’t wait to spend a few minutes with him alone. “Ensign, please bring this to pod 2 along with the rest of the medical supplies,” Alathea ordered the nurse. 

The young man grabbed the supply and after saluting his senior officers, he left the room in a hurry. He could feel the tension in the room and he wanted to be as far away as possible when it would release, even if it meant visiting the plague ward. 

“It’s not exactly a cure. More like a short term solution,” Alathea started as soon as the nurse left the room.

“Will it cure the Niribians?” Pike asked.

“Yes…”

“Then it’s a cure,” Pike interrupted more forcefully than he had intended. Taking his personal frustrations about their personal relationship in their work wouldn’t help anyone, lest alone the Niribians.

“The cure needs to be activated,” Alathea continued, trying her best to ignore Pike’s acerbic tone. “We have a few bio-activators on the  _ Pittman _ and one aboard  _ Enterprise _ but it won’t be enough to help all of the patients.”

“Can we at least get to the most critical?”

“A portion of them,” Bayley supplied. “Which leaves us to decide who should live or die.”

_ Not us _ , Pike thought,  _ but the Niribian council will. And given their popularity, whatever decision they make will not be well received by the general population. _

“There is another solution,” Althea interjected.

“An unethical solution,” Bayley corrected.

Before Pike could ask for clarification, an explosion shattered all the windows in the lab, sending the three occupants to the floor. “Everyone alright?” Pike asked, not waiting for an answer. “Pike to  _ Enterprise.” _

_ “Enterprise here, sir,”  _ came Number One’s relieved voice.  _ “Are you alright?” _

“Yes, what is the situation?”

_ “The crowd is taking the government’s building by force. The Niribian guards left their post. Whether out of fear or because they are complicit is unknown at this time. Sir, where are you?” _

Pike rolled his eyes. “Inside the building with two of our doctors.” Pike looked around the room for Alathea and Dr. Bayley. He found his friend applying chest compression to an unconscious Bayley. A shard of glass was protruding from her chest. “Number One, lock onto my position and beam three directly to sickbay!”

_ “Sir, we cannot get a lock on your position,” _ Number One reported, not having waited for Pike’s order to evacuate the away team.  _ “There is a dampening field around the building.” _

Pike cursed loudly before cutting communication with his ship and making his way towards the two women. “What’s her condition?”

Alathea shook her head before stopping the compression. “The glass probably severed the coronary artery. She’s bleeding out,” Alathea blurted out, holding back her tears. Dr. Bayley hadn’t just been her CMO but also her friend and confidante. “She’s dead.”

“Thea, I’m sorry,” Pike said, extending a comforting hand toward his friend.

Alathea jerked away from Chris and stood up. “We need to get out of here.”

Voices were coming down the corridor and by the sound of them, it wasn’t Starfleet personnel. Pike reached for Alathea and held her back. “Wait!” He forced her back on the ground as the lab door flew open and several armed Niribians entered the room.

“Drop your weapons!” The leader ordered.

Pike raised his hands up in the air as he placed himself in-between the Niribians and Alathea. Despite their frailed nature, he knew that the Niribian were deceptively strong and he quickly estimated his chances to take all four aliens in the room without casualty to none. Besides, he didn’t know how many more were roaming the corridors. Surrendering was his only option. Pike motioned to the phaser on his hip with his eyes, silently asking for permission to lower his hands. Once the leader acknowledged the request with a jolt of his rifle, Pike slowly unholstered his phaser with his non-shooting hand and lowered it to the floor. His communicator followed. His movements were slow and deliberate, trying to defuse the situation as much as he could. 

The leader kicked the phaser and communicator away from Pike. “What about her?”

“She’s a doctor. She’s unarmed.”

The man seemed to consider the situation. “What are you doing here?”

“We’re working on a cure for your people,” Alathea supplied.

“A cure?” The man chuckled. “You mean for the council while the people are dying by the thousands? Starfleet is not here to help the people of Niribu. They’re here to keep our government in place! They’re killing us so they can control us!” The tirade was interrupted by a fist of coughing.

Pike exchanged a quick look with Alathea to confirm his suspicion: the sweat on the man's forehead betrayed his fever and given his shortness of breath, he was in the first stage of the disease. Within a few hours, he would start bleeding internally. 

“Jarun! We have cleared the floor,” came a voice from the corridor. 

“Idiot! Don’t use my name!” Jarun turned his attention back to his prize. Two Starfleet officers. Either his government or theirs would pay dearly to get them back. Perhaps he could get some of the medicine the council had been hoarding for themselves. Perhaps he would have enough time to come back to his village and deliver the medicine to his dying son. Jarun shook his head. His son would be dead soon if he wasn’t already. This was the reason why he had agreed to help the FFF in the first place. “Move out!” He ordered Pike and Alathea.

The captain slowly walked past the armed men, protecting Alathea with his own body as much as possible. The man who had called their leader by his name was waiting for them outside the lab and led them to an adjacent room with three beds that had obviously been occupied recently. The soldier closed the door behind them. 

“Friends of yours?” Alathea asked sarcastically. Ignoring his friend’s snarky remark, Pike rushed towards the windows. “They don't open. Trust me, we’ve tried,” Alathea supplied, collapsing on the bed. She looked at the blood on her hands and her mind brought her back to Iggisia and Elena.

“Thea!” Pike called in an attempt to keep Alathea in the present. “We’re going to be ok. I promise.” He kneeled on the floor in front of her.

“Is that a your-life-back-if-you’re-not-completely-satisfied guarantee?”

Pike rolled his eyes. “Very funny.”

“Sorry… It’s just…”

“When was the last time you’ve slept?”

“How does that matter?”

“It matters because there are at least six armed Niribians outside this door with nothing to lose. If we have to make an escape before  _ Enterprise _ can get to us, I need you to be clear headed. Survival training: when was the last time you drank, ate, and slept?”

Alathea sighed. As much as she hated to admit it, they needed to enter survival mode. “There is water under the bed. We’ve been staying here for the past couple of days, working on the cure. I can’t remember the last time I ate. And I have been taking cat naps ever since we got here.”

“Lie down and get some sleep. They seem preoccupied with securing the building, that should buy us a couple of hours of rest,” Pike ordered while laying down on the nearest bed. 

Alathea followed his example, turning her back to Pike. She could hear explosions in the distance, suggesting that the coup had extended to other official buildings. Clearly, the Council had been wrong: the FFF was a lot more organized than the ragtag team they had been thought to be. This was not the reunion she had envisioned. Truth be told, she had never imagined seeing Chris again. She was a field doctor and he was the captain of a starship on an exploratory mission. The only reason the  _ Enterprise _ had accompanied the  _ Pittman _ on this mission was because she had been in proximity of the colony. 

Sleep wouldn’t come. And Pike’s breathing told Alathea that he was still awake as well. Night was falling on the capital and with it a stillness that often only came after a hard-fought battle. She turned around on her bed to face her friend. “I wanted to call you,” she started. “I just didn’t know what to say.”

Pike stayed silent for the longest time. He was angry at her for essentially cutting him out of her life, he was sad to have lost his friend, and he was confused about what he could have possibly done to cause their fallout. Alathea was about to turn around on her bed when Pike responded, “Then, why didn’t you?” He propped himself on his elbow. He couldn’t make out her features in the pale moonlight.

“Because I was afraid of what you’d think of me,” Alathea confessed. “After I returned to Earth, I spent a few months in Mojave, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Before I could envision not going back to Starfleet Medical, Nathan asked me to come work with him at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. He had found a way to slow the degradation from delta ray radiation in lab rats but he wanted a second pair of eyes before proposing the next phase to Starfleet. Most importantly, he needed someone with medical training to manage the pain in his patients. I spent the next six months working with him.”

“So you rekindled a romance with your old academic flame? Do you think I was going to be jealous?”

“No. And we never rekindled anything. Not back then and not at the Academy. Even Leland knew that asking me out was a lost cause. And I think he bedded the entire senior class.”

Pike chuckled. “Yeah, I think I spent more nights in your dorm room that year than in mine.”

Alathea returned the chuckle before continuing. “Upon my return to Earth, I started having pain everywhere. Nobody could figure out why until someone managed to unseal the records from Aggarwal.

“The doctor who performed your surgeries when we were kids?”

Alathea nodded. “Iggisia had a slightly lower gravity than Earth. The years I spent planetside altered the compound Aggarwal had used to strengthen the bones. Nobody knew what to do so I contacted the only doctor I knew who had worked with Aggarwal.”

“Boyce,” Pike supplied in a whisper.

“Yes. He presented me with two options. The first one was to reattach Aggarwal’s compound to my bones. Phil didn’t believe he could do it since my growth plates have long sealed. Besides, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go through the pain again.”

“Your second option was the harness,” Pike gasped in understanding. “And you needed to contact my father.”

“Yes,” Alathea whispered in shame.

“And you thought I would be mad at you for seeking the only man who could actually help you?”

“Chris, I know how tense the relationship between the two of you had been. I didn’t want to become a painful reminder for you. I didn’t want you to resent me for associating with the man who had caused you so much pain.”

“Did he help you?”

“Yes. He successfully recreated my harness. With it I could strengthen my muscles to be able to function in normal gravity. It took three years but I was eventually able to remove the harness.”

Pike sat up abruptly at the realization. “The gravity here is not normal… Thea, how are you moving around?”

“With some difficulty,” Alathea admitted.

“We need to get you back to the ship,” Pike kneeled in front of Alathea’s bed. “Can you run?”

“I don’t know,” Alathea answered honestly. “Chris, if you’re planning to escape, promise me that you will do so even if I’m not able to follow you.”

“No,” Pike gently caressed her cheek. “Nobody is left behind.”

Alathea leaned into his touch. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m glad my father could help you,” Pike told her sincerely. “I would never want for you to suffer.” He climbed beside her on the bed, holding her close. “I wish you would have called me.”

“I wanted to. I almost did. Several times.”

“So after my father helped you, what did you decide to do? You’re still with Medical…,” Pike asked to change the subject.

Alathea laughed. “Yeah. My career change wasn’t as drastic as I would have hoped. I spent the next five years in Mojave, working at a clinic but something was missing. I wanted to make a difference, not just remove splinters. So I went back to the Academy and got a specialization in field medicine.”

Pike whistled at the accomplishment. That was one of the toughest curriculums at the Academy, combining Medical, Command, and Tactical. “Did you go through Command training?”

Alathea nodded. “I’m a lieutenant commander. I’m the fourth in command aboard the  _ Pittman. _ ” She paused. “Well, the third now.”

“I’m so sorry about Dr. Bayley.”

“She was more than just my mentor. I wish you would have been able to meet her under better circumstances.”

“I don’t think she liked me very much.”

“Let’s just say that there were some expletives when she described some of your command decisions.” 

“Considering what just happened, she may have been right. I underestimated the threat posed by the FFF.”

“Chris, no one could have predicted what happened. And even if you had more security officers on the ground, they wouldn’t have lasted long in front of an army of desperate people. It would have resulted in a blood bath.”

“Perhaps.” 

Alathea cupped his cheek. “You’re a good captain, Chris.”

Pike chuckled. “How would you know?”

“Because I followed your career. I’m sure that a hundred years from now, they will have some sort of award named after you.”

Pike laughed and kissed the top of her head. “No pressure there.”

“None at all.”

Their light banter was interrupted by the door slamming open. Pike and Mayweather blinked against the harsh light emanating from the corridor. “Jarun wants to talk to you.”

Reluctantly, Pike let go of Alathea and walked toward their guard, followed closely by his friend. The Niribian led them down the corridor towards the elevator. A short trip to the seventh floor later, Pike found himself in the server room of the government building. “Do you know how to make this work?” Jarun asked Pike without preamble.

“No,” Pike answered while quickly counting the number of guards. Even if he could take them all, there was no guarantee they would be able to escape before more guards were called, especially if Alathea wasn’t able to run as fast in higher gravity. “We no longer use this kind of technology.”

“What are you trying to do?” Alathea asked.

“We need to send a message to the government. If they have a cure, the people should get it first.”

“They do not have a cure,” Alathea replied. “We were working on it.”

“Can you finish it?”

“Not with the equipment available here. We need something from our ship.”

“And by we, you mean you. You’re the doctor.” Jarun’s eyes narrowed. “Tell you what, princess, you finish that cure or your friend here will be the first casualty.” Jarun motioned for his guards to get a hold of Pike.

“No!” Alathea placed herself in front of Pike. “I can’t complete the cure without our bio-activators! If you let us go, I promise you that we will do our best to help you.”

“Your best hasn’t been enough to save my child!” Jarun ran towards Alathea. He grabbed the doctor by the arm and threw her on the floor. Alathea yelped in pain.

“Stop!” Pike fought against the guards restraining him. “She’s been trying to help your people. All of your people!”

“Then get me that cure! NOW!”

Pike looked at Alathea sitting on the floor. “Thea, you said that there was another solution to the bio-activators. What is it?”

Alathea shook her head. “I hadn’t had a lot of time to look into it. But I believe we can use a host to activate the cure and then transfer the plasma to the Niribian. It won’t solve the problem for the long-term but it will buy us time to find a real cure or a vaccine.”

“Can I be that host?”

Alathea gasped in shock. “Chris, no! It was a theory. I have no idea what the drug will do to you.”

Pike looked in-between the guards and Jarun hovering over Alathea. The cure may be deadly but the weapons these desperate men were carrying definitely were and Pike sensed that they were out of time. “Give it to me! I’m the logical choice. If something goes wrong, you can help me!”

“No!”

Jarun kicked Alathea in the ribs. “You heard him! Give it to him!”

Alathea collapsed into a fetal position, protecting her midsection. “Stop!” Pike screamed, trying to free himself from the guards. “Thea, give me the cure.That’s an order.”

Alathea looked up in-between Chris and Jarun. As a doctor, she couldn’t fathom giving the drug to anyone at this stage. They needed more time to understand the effects on the human body. She had already run some promising simulations but she couldn’t guarantee that it was safe for the host. But as a Starfleet officer, she understood Pike’s order. If she didn’t test her theory, they were both dead. She nodded as she slowly stood up from the floor, cradling her injured ribs. “Ok,” she conceded. “But we need to go back to the lab. I’ll also need access to my medical tricorder.”

“What for?” Jarun asked suspiciously.

“To monitor when the drug has been activated,” Alathea answered half truthfully. She also needed it to monitor Chris’ vital signs. 

Jarun motioned for her to lead the way. As she passed Chris, she locked eyes with him and shook her head. Pike gave her an encouraging smile, displaying more courage than he actually felt. When they reached the fourth floor’s lab, Alathea retrieved one vial of the unactivated drug from the fridge, trying her best to ignore her friend’s body, and loaded it into a hypospray. “Have a seat,” she asked Chris.

The captain sat down on the only chair available and removed his command jacket. Alathea scanned him quickly with her tricorder. His heart rate and blood pressure were elevated but it was to be expected considering their situation. “Chris, I never had time to run more than a few simulations. It should take approximately three hours to activate the cure. A plasma transfusion should do the trick.”

“How many doses can you get from my blood?”

Alathea shook her head. “I don’t know. Three, maybe four.”

“So we’ll need to do this twice.”

Alathea gasped in shock. “Absolutely not! I don’t even know what the first round will do to you. But you could go into kidney or liver failure! Not to mention that you cannot donate plasma every three hours!” 

“Thea, I will be ok.”

“Your will is not going to dictate how your body is going to react to this!” Alathea looked at Jarun. “Stop this!” She pleaded. “We need more time to understand the effects that the drug will have on him! You might be killing him!”

“And my people are dying by the thousands every hour! What is the life of one man if he can save six?” Jarun was getting agitated.

Alathea looked at the hypospray in her hand. During her first day of medical training, her instructors had her recite the Hippocratic Oath.  _ I will never give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it. _ She was about to violate that oath. “Thea, it’s ok,” Pike said, placing his hand on hers.

“No, it’s not.” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Pike grabbed the hypospray from Thea’s hand and injected himself. “Chris, no!” Alathea fought him for the device but it was too late. “No…,” she repeated, letting the tears flow freely.

“I’m ok,” he told her sincerely. He didn’t feel any different. “Is it working?”

Alathea ran a quick scan. “Too soon to tell. But you should be laying down.” She turned her attention to Jarun. “This will take some time. Can we at least make him comfortable?”

Jarun ordered one of his men to escort Pike and Mayweather back to the room that had recently been converted into a dormitory. Althea helped Chris on the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“No difference. Are you sure this is working?”

Alathea shrugged. “I don’t know. But you should try to get some rest.”

“I’m ordering you to do anything in your power to get out of here alive. Even if it means injecting me a second time, understood?” Alathea ignored him. “Commander, that’s a direct order.”

“And if I don’t obey, I’ll gladly be court-martialed.” Alathea wrapped a blanket around Chris. She sat down on the floor next to him, monitoring his vital signs.

“Thea, I need to ask you a favor,” Pike said after a long silence. “If I don’t make it…”

“Chris,” Alathea interrupted.

“If I don’t make it,” Pike insisted, “I want you to execute my last will.”

“Chris, I…” Alathea frowned. “What’s wrong?” She had known Chris long enough to sense his hesitation. “Where are you hurting?”

“My back,” he admitted.

Mayweather scanned him quickly. As soon as the tricorder registered her worst fear, she bit her lower lip. “Your kidneys are failing. We need to stop this!” 

As she was about to stand, Pike placed a hand on her shoulder. “No. They will kill both of us at this stage. How long until the drug is activated?”

Alathea readjusted her tricorder. “A couple of hours. But your kidneys will continue to degrade. We need to get you on dialysis and back on  _ Enterprise _ now!”

“Care to explain this to the man who is willing to lose everything?”

“At the very least, I can give you a nerve blocker.”

Pike shook his head. “No. I’m ok.”

“Says the man who finished a football game after a major concussion and spent three days in the hospital afterwards. Considering your threshold for pain, I’m not taking you at your word.”

“Thea, I need to stay awake. Knowing Number One, she’s already on her way here. But she may need our help when it comes to it.”

\--------

Chris groaned when Alathea started washing his body with cold water. “Sorry,” she apologized, “but you’re running a high fever. How are you feeling?” The question was answered by another grunt. “Almost there, Chris.” Alathea caressed his forehead soothingly. Chris’ eyes flickered open. The white had turned a yellowish color.  _ His liver is failing _ . “We need to move to the tenth floor. Can you walk?” 

Chris groaned as he struggled to sit up on the bed. “I don’t think so.”

“I can help you,” she whispered to him. “Just put your weight on me.” She repositioned herself to his side, wrapping his arm over her shoulders. “I can’t get the machine to you.” She eyed the guard waiting to escort them. “And I don’t want him to touch you.”

Chris nodded weakly, slowly standing up with Alathea’s help. The room was spinning around him and it took all of his willpower to remain conscious. “Thea…” Chris collapsed on his knees and vomited on the floor. His last conscious thoughts drifted towards Alathea. He needed to stay awake and make sure she would be safe.

\-------

Pike groaned as the sensations returned to his body. He was laying on his back with faint beeps surrounding him. The familiar hum of the engine could be felt through the wall.  _ Enterprise _ .

“You’re lucky to be alive.”

_ Boyce.  _ He could recognize the judgmental voice anywhere. He slowly opened his eyes to find the ship’s CMO hovering over him. “How are you feeling?”, Phil asked him.

“Like I was run over by a shuttle.”

“That’s not a bad analogy,” Boyce grumbled as he displayed Pike’s current condition on the sickbay monitor near the patient’s bed. “We had to replace your kidneys. Liver is regenerating slowly. Blood transfusions are taking care of the remaining traces of the cure.”

“Thea?” Pike tried to sit up on the bed. 

Phil placed a firm hand on his shoulder, forcing his captain to lie back down on the biobed. He nodded towards the adjacent bed. “Asleep. She hasn’t left sickbay since we brought you in five days ago.”

“Is she ok?” His brain couldn’t process the avalanche of information. All that mattered was that Alathea was safe.

“She’s fine. Thanks to you. But I can’t say the same for you. So, lie down and get some rest.”

“What happened?” Pike insisted.

Boyce heavily sighed, knowing that short of sedating Pike for the night, the captain would not rest until he got a full status report. “What do you remember?”

“The cure… pain.”

“That would have been from the kidney and liver failure. You passed out as soon as Thea tried to move you. She convinced your captors to let her put you on dialysis while she worked on extracting the cure from your plasma. That probably saved your life.” Boyce paused. “Unfortunately, the drug didn’t work. Jarun died within a couple of hours along with two of his men. With no leader, the rest of the insurgents agreed to open communication with Starfleet. Number One negotiated your release in exchange for recognizing the FFF as a governmental entity.”

“Admiral Anderson won’t be happy about that.”

“The situation is more complicated than the Niribian Council led us to believe originally. Anderson is coming here to take charge of the situation. I don’t know the details. You’ll have to ask Number One… AFTER you get some rest.”

Boyce’s raised voice woke Alathea from her shallow slumber. “Chris,” she mumbled, stumbling out of bed. “You’re awake!”

Pike extended his hand to her. “And fine. I should get down to the planet.”

“NO!” Boyce and Mayweather exclaimed in unison. “You’re staying here until I’m satisfied that you’re not going to go into full cardiac arrest on us again,” Boyce added. “Now, we can do this the easy way… or the hard way, with restraints.”

Pike looked in-between Boyce and Mayweather. “The drug trashed your kidneys and liver,” Alathea explained. “Eventually, your heart stopped. If  _ Enterprise _ hadn’t beamed us up at that moment, you’d be dead, Chris. Please, listen to Phil. You need time to recover.”

The fear reflected in Alathea’s eyes convinced Pike more than the threat of restraints. He relaxed on the bed and held her hand above his heart. “Stay with me?”

She nodded. “Sweet dreams.” She whispered as Pike let sleep claim him once more. 


	10. Chapter 10

_ Stardate 1874, Upothas II _

“How long until the rest of the landing party gets here?” Alathea whispered to Br’tar as to not awake Chris. In-between the pain and the nightmares, he hadn’t been able to catch more than a couple of hours of sleep at a time.

“Few hours,” Br’tar answered, hazarding a glance towards his captain. The man’s skin had turned a greyish tone, his breathing was labored, and he was barely moving. “How is he holding up?”

“As best as he can,” Alathea responded. “I wish I could transfuse him but none of us are a match. All we can do is make him as comfortable as possible until  _ Enterprise _ can get to us.”   


Br’tar nodded. “Temperatures are dropping fast. We should retreat to the other pod that’s been built deeper into the mountain. Can we move him?”

“Not until Spock gets here and I can stabilize the fracture.”

“Thea?”

The two officers turned their attention towards their captain. The doctor immediately rushed to his side, taking his hand. “Hey....,” she said with a comforting smile. His face was contorted in pain. “How are you feeling?”

“A little better,” Pike acknowledged. The little sleep he had managed to catch had at least allowed for his stomach to settle. 

“That’s good.” Thea placed her hand on his forehead. His fever was definitely getting higher. “How about eating something?”

Pike shook his head as the thought of food triggered a wave of nausea. 

“At least some water?” Alathea insisted. 

Pike weakly nodded. Alathea turned to Br’tar for assistance but the security officer had anticipated her need and was already fetching one of their water packs. Together, they managed to get Pike into a half-seated position. “Drink slowly,” Alathea instructed, holding the pack’s aperture to Chris’ lips. 

Chris drank half of the water before pushing the pack away. “Lie down,” he asked in a labored breath. Br’tar and Alathea gently lowered him back on the operating table. 

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Alathea dismissed Br’tar as gently as possible. She knew the security officer just wanted to help but for Chris, it was torture to be seen in this state.

“I’ll get started on breakfast,” he replied, not offended by the request.

As soon as the Masonian left the room, Alathea scanned Chris with her tricorder. His body temperature registered at 100.3F, definitely higher than would be expected from shock, and his nerves kept responding to the pain in his leg. Despite his stoic demeanor, Alathea knew he must be in agony. “Chris, no lying. On a scale of 1-10, how bad is the pain?”

“Eight,” Chris answered truthfully after a while.

“Spock and the others are going to be here soon.” She felt powerless. “Would you let me have a look at your wound?”

Chris shook his head. “Please, don’t touch me.”

“Ok,” she agreed. It could wait until Spock got here. “Want to try to get some more sleep?”

Her question was met with another shake of the head. “I don’t think I’ll fall asleep again. Can we talk?”

Alathea didn’t pressure him further. “Sure. What do you want to talk about?”

Chris closed his eyes.  _ Explosion. Fire. Pain. _ He jerked himself awake and yelped when it triggered a wave of pain. 

Alathea placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Take it easy, Chris. You’re going to be ok. We’ll be on  _ Enterprise  _ soon.” 

Pike never considered he could die on this mission; his experience on Boreth told him that much. “You worked with victims of delta radiation?” Taken aback by the question, Alathea stuttered a quick acknowledgment. “What does it feel like?” Pike insisted.

“Chris, I don’t think…”

Chris interrupted, “Please, I need to know.”

Alathea relented and answered his question, “it depends on how much exposure and how fast the patient can be moved to a facility capable of treating the radiation. Assuming a slow leak and a regen chamber available within an hour, it’s barely noticeable at the beginning. The pain starts when the nerves surrounding the exposed tissue start fraying. Then the whole area is dead from all sensations within a matter of months. Usually the pain can be managed with nerve blockers.”

“What happens at high dosage, like from the explosion of a baffled plate?”

“Pain-wise? Not much,” Alathea sighed, unsure where this conversation was going. “At that level, the nerves will be completely destroyed in an instant. But without the nervous system, the patient would have to be put on life support almost immediately if they were to survive.”

“And if they do survive?”

“I don’t know, Chris. Nobody has ever survived that much radiation leak for more than a few hours. Even if they did, they would soon be unable to even communicate.”

“But Nathan was working on a treatment?”

“You remember that?”

Pike nodded. In the time he had on Earth after the loss of the  _ Discovery _ , he had read all available material about delta radiation and the promising treatment from Nathaniel Luna. “Did he ever complete it?”

Alathea nodded. “In some cases, he was able to stop the nerve damage and even reverse the condition. But it was leaving the patient in extreme chronic pain, so it was never approved for wide use. It’s reserved for some of the most critical patients, for whom there is no chance of survival outside extreme treatment. But…” Alathea shook her head. This was a sensitive subject between her and her husband and one of the reasons she had taken a posting on the  _ Enterprise _ . As doctors, they were first and foremost obligated to do no harm and she couldn’t say in good conscience that Nathan’s treatment was not causing harm. Sometimes death could be preferable to the agony of living. She had first-hand experience on the subject. “Chris, I don’t think we should be talking about that.”

Pike watched as Alathea’s expression became harder. He knew that look well. He had seen it countless times whenever she was confronted with a touchy subject. And he also knew that there was no point in asking more questions. She would not answer them. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have pushed the subject.”

Alathea gave him a soft smile, “it’s ok. I just don’t really want to talk about Nathan and his research.”

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out between the two of you.”

Alathea chuckled. “You’ve always been a poor liar.”

Chris returned her smile. “Ok, I’m not sorry that things didn’t work out between the two of you. But I want you to be happy, Thea.”

“Maybe you were right…,” Thea paused, “maybe Starfleet officers aren’t meant to be with someone.”

“You don’t believe that. Besides, I’ve had the privilege to marry many officers as captain.”

“And how many have stayed happily married?”

“Point taken,” Pike conceded.

“How about you? Anyone in your life?”

Pike looked away, unsure on how to answer the question. If he were honest with himself, he would tell Alathea how he really felt about her. And then, there was Vina. His experience on Talos may not have been real but his feelings for Vina were. “It’s complicated,” he finally settled on the vague statement.

“I think that sums up about every relationship across the galaxy.”

They stayed silent for a long time, just content to be with each other. Chris was fighting to stay awake, afraid of the nightmares that have been plaguing him since Boreth. He didn’t regret his decision. His life was inconsequential in the grand scheme of saving every living soul in the universe but he was terrified of the future he had seen. Chris whimpered as images of the disfigured man in the mechanical chair flashed before his eyes.

“Shh...” Alathea gently caressed his side. “You’re ok. Spock is going to be here soon. Once I can stabilize your leg properly, you’ll feel better.”

Chris turned his face away from Alathea, breathing slowly through the pain. His friend was rubbing his side, trying to impart as much comfort as she could. The contact appeased him but he also dreaded the day where he would no longer be able to feel the soothing touch. And he wouldn’t allow Alathea to see him in this state. No, it wouldn’t be fair to her. 

“Chris?” Alathea called softly as she watched Chris struggle with his inner demons. She wished he would confide in her but probing him further would only make him retreat. “Would you let me remove your top? It will be more comfortable,” she offered instead. After a moment of hesitation, Chris nodded slowly. Althea smiled softly before removing the blankets and fully unzipping his jacket. She helped him remove it, careful not to move his leg, and let it fall on the floor. His undershirt was drenched in sweat from his fever. “I’m going to cut your shirt,” She told him before grabbing the scissors from the surgical tray. Chris closed his eyes as the fabric was peeled off his body. Alathea used the torn shirt to dry off his torso and arms. Chris relaxed, enjoying the cool sensation. “Feels good?” Alathea asked him with a smile. Chris nodded. “How about I get some warm water?” Her question was met by another nod. As much as he hated to show vulnerability, the touches were soothing. “I’ll be right back,” Alathea promised, placing the blankets back.

As soon as Alathea left the room, Chris examined his surroundings. The room was not much larger than the Enterprise sickbay and was lacking the same privacy he had always hated aboard starships. He hated to have to report to sickbay. Not only was he at Boyce’s mercy but he also often had an audience while doing so. He shivered at the thought of what laid ahead. He should get used to the lack of privacy. 

Lost in his dark thoughts, he jumped slightly when Alathea came back with the warm water. “Sorry,” she apologized, “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“You don’t have to do this.”

Alathea sighed at her friend’s stubbornness. She placed the bucket at her feet and pulled back the covers. “It will help with the fever.” She started washing his body, watching in relief as Chris relaxed onto the bed. “Feels better?” Chris nodded. Within a few minutes, he closed his eyes and fell into a restful slumber.

\-----------

_ USS Enterprise _

“Number One, incoming transmission from Starfleet Command,” Garison informed the acting captain of the  _ Enterprise _ . “Priority One.”

Una frowned at the request. “Patch it to the conference room. Tyler you have the bridge!” she added before making her way to the turbolift. Priority One was reserved for highly classified missions. Their mishap on Upothas wasn’t exactly of classified nature. As soon as she reached the conference room doubling as the captain’s ready room, she ordered for the computer to begin transmission. “Admiral Mayweather!” she gasped in surprise as soon as she recognized the admiral on the screen.

_ “Commander,”  _ Mayweather greeted somberly.  _ “I wish we’d meet under better circumstances. What’s the status on the planet?” _

“Unchanged, sir. One of our away teams is still trapped inside the cave. Mr. Spock is doing his best to get to the captain… and your daughter.”

_ “Your priority is to rescue the members of this away team.” _

“Aye, sir,” Number One acknowledged. 

_ “Starfleet reviewed your report and the consensus is that Upothas falls under worlds protected by the Prime Directive. The call sent by their ancestors a long time ago is not enough to justify a full intervention.’ _

“May I speak freely, sir?”

_ “By all means.” _

“The away team didn’t take any precautions before beaming down since we assumed an advanced civilization and we couldn’t get appropriate scans of the area. The cultural contamination has already happened. They have the right to know that the Great Experiment was a failure! These people have been holding back on other sciences for centuries while hoping for the return of their elites. Besides, they may still be holding some of our people.”

Mayweather leaned towards his computer console.  _ “Commander, we are well aware that the members of the first away team are missing. From Lieutenant Br’tar’s assessment of the situation, they have been assumed KIA.” _

“They might still be alive!” Una gasped.

_ “And this is something that I’m ordering the  _ Enterprise _ to investigate, within the parameters of first contact protocol with non-warp capable cultures. Is that understood?” _

“Yes, sir,” Una spat out, controlling the urge not to scream at her superior officer.

_ “Good. As far as their right to know about the failure of the Great Experiment, Starfleet disagrees with your assessment. We will not interfere in the cultural evolution of another species, even though we disagree on the nature of that evolution. This is the oath we took when we joined Starfleet.” _

“Sir,” Number One started to argue. She reined herself in upon seeing the disapproval on the admiral’s face and answered with a tense, “Yes, sir,” instead. 

_ “As far as your first point is concerned, Starfleet command has ordered a full review of Captain Pike’s decision and the chain of command aboard Enterprise…” _

“Sir, I take full responsibility…” Una interrupted.

The admiral motioned to stop with his hand.  _ “That includes a full review of the admiralty to have placed Pike back in command when he hadn’t cleared all psychological evaluations. As much as Dr. Boyce would like to take full blame for what’s happening, we can both agree that there is plenty to go around. Mine included.” _

“Dr. Boyce?” Number One frowned.

The admiral’s eyes narrowed at the officer’s surprise.  _ “Dr. Boyce handed in his resignation this morning,”  _ Mayweather informed Number One.

“He what?” It took all of her self-control to not storm out of the conference room and confront the  _ Enterprise _ ’s CMO.

_ “Commander, I think it’s time to make this official. I’m transferring command of the  _ Enterprise _ to you. Your orders are to evacuate the away team as soon as it is safe to do so, evaluate the feasibility of a possible extraction of the first away team within no-contact parameters, and report to Starbase 4. I want to make this perfectly clear: Captain Pike is relieved from duty effective immediately under Starfleet Medical Regulation 121, Section A. Is this clear?” _

“Yes, sir,” Number One answered. She couldn’t believe that this conversation was taking place. Yet, it would explain the Priority One call.

_ “On a personal note, I must give you another warning.” _ Mayweather paused, waiting to receive Number One’s full attention.  _ “Chris and Thea share an unbreakable connection that goes beyond loyalty or friendship. They will do anything for each other. And I mean anything. If it comes a time when rescuing Captain Pike is not an option…” _

“She won’t make the call.” Number One understood why Mayweather had made the call himself. But she was also struggling with the idea that she would have to command for Starfleet officers to be left behind. Since when had Command been so cavalier with life? Since the Klingon War, Number One realized. They had to make the tough decisions to win the war and old habits often died hard. Starfleet had gone from being a force of peace and exploration to an army. And even though  _ Enterprise _ had been spared the atrocities of the war, she was now part of that army. 

Mayweather nodded.  _ “I hope that it won’t come to this. I’ve known Chris since he was five years old. He’s like a son to me but my primary responsibility is to make sure that we can retrieve as many of our people as possible without contaminating this culture further.” _

“Aye, sir.”

_ “Mayweather out.”  _

Number One stared at the blank screen for a long time after Admiral Mayweather ended the transmission. For the first time for as long as she could remember, she didn’t know what to do. All the analyses in the world couldn’t solve the problems that had plagued the  _ Enterprise _ since leaving dry dock. It wasn’t something that could be fixed by logic and rules and Number One felt outside of her element. She found herself walking towards the turbolift; she needed time to gather herself before going back to the bridge. And she needed an ear. The same ear Pike had used over and over during his career.

She found Boyce in his office, the large screen on the wall displaying Pike’s lifesigns from Alathea’s tricorder. “How is he doing?”

Boyce jumped at the unexpected presence. “As… ok… at least as far as ok applies to his condition,” he blurted out. “Chris is asleep. Deep, restful sleep. This is the best we can hope for at the moment.”

Number One nodded once before slumping in the chair opposite Boyce. “Got a call from Admiral Mayweather. He had some news I wish I had learned from you first.”

Boyce leaned back in his chair and heavily sighed. “I screwed up, Una. And a lot of people down there will be paying the price.”

“ _ We _ screwed up,” Number One amended. “And I don’t know how your resignation will change that fact. But it will affect everyone on this ship.”

Boyce slowly stood up and started pacing the length of his office. “After we came back from our first five-year tour, I asked to be transferred back to Earth. Starfleet Medical. Teaching position. Chris approved it. He knew that I’d been wanting to go back home for years. Well, since he took command,” Boyce chuckled dryly. “He only asked for one favor: that I would find my replacement.”

“Alathea Mayweather,” Number One whispered.

“Yes. He wasn’t pleased by the decision at first.”

“What changed in his mind?”

“He didn’t. But Command agreed with my decision and for obvious reasons, CMOs are outside the normal transfer or promotion protocols.” Una shifted in her seat; she was perfectly aware of Starfleet regulations but she couldn’t help feeling blindsided by the decision. Oblivious to his commanding officer’s internal turmoil, Boyce continued, “we agreed that I would stay on for our first mission since Mayweather was new onboard. I was to disembark after Upothas. Apparently, that wasn’t soon enough.”

“Phil, you’re not responsible for the situation.”

Boyce shrugged. “I am, Una. My one job is to look after the crew and because of my personal feelings, I failed them.” He sighed. “The signs were there: the jumpiness, the bags under his eyes betraying the lack of sleep, the short temper, the outbursts, and his detachment to his crew. Chris might be the most decorated combat officer in the fleet, this is not what makes him a good captain. It’s the smile he gives to the crewmember in the lower decks, the rotation on away missions so everyone is given a chance to shine, his open-door policy for everyone who needs a sympathetic ear…”

“Phil,” Number One interrupted, “we all saw the signs. But none of us wanted to believe it. We don’t know what happened…,” Number One caught herself before pronouncing the ship’s name, “... on his special assignment. But he came back different and the months spent on Earth just made him worse. He didn’t need a vacation. He needed his friends…”

“But he wouldn’t come to us.”

“So you were hoping he would go to Mayweather.”

Boyce nodded. “I was hoping that he would at least talk to her and try to make her feel welcome, like he would do for any other crewmember.”

“Phil, Admiral Mayweather wants us to retrieve the away teams and head to Starbase 4.”

“Yes, I’ve contacted one of my colleagues there. We agreed to start treatment as soon as we can get him back onboard but he needs a lot more than what I can do for him here. In my resignation, I’ve also impressed upon Starfleet the need to have a counselor onboard for 5-year missions. I’m a surgeon. Not a psychiatrist!”

“Mayweather also relieved Pike from duty,” Una cut it, unwilling to hear Boyce further blaming himself. 

“Una, Pike is unfit for command. Heck, he’s unfit to make any decision for himself right now! And quite frankly, so am I.”

“Phil, he’s listening to Mayweather and she is keeping him safe and calm. She’s managed to get him to sleep. You recommended her for this mission because you thought she was best for the job. She is. You made the best decision under the circumstances.”

\------------

“Chris, you’re with me. Everything's ok,” Alathea whispered as Pike started to moan in his sleep, about to fully wake. “You fell asleep and you’re safe here.”

Chris’ eyes fluttered open. “How long?,” he asked slightly out of breath from his nightmare.

“A couple of hours.” Alathea gently caressed his forehead, moving his hair back. “How are you feeling?”

“Pain.” Tears were streaming down his face as Pike was losing the little bit of control he had over his emotions. Alathea cupped his cheeks and gently wiped the tears. “I’m so tired,” Chris finally admitted.

“Spock is almost here. Once I can treat you, it will be easier to sleep.”

Pike shook his head. “It’s not just the pain… I’ve been having nightmares.”

“Do you want to talk to me about them?” Alathea probed gently. For Chris to admit that he had a problem was a step in the right direction and she didn’t want to place him on the defensive.

“I can’t… It’s classified.” Pike admitted, relieved that he could hide behind the classified nature of his last mission.

Alathea didn’t push him. She knew he could avoid the sensitive information; she didn’t need to know the details of his mission to help him. “I’ll be here when you’re ready,” she conceded. 

“I’m scared,” Pike confessed. He had started shivering as a result of both his fever and emotional distress.

“Chris, we will get you back on Enterprise.” She wrapped the blankets more tightly around him. 

Pike shook his head. “I know I won’t die here.”

Alathea was taken aback but the certainty in his voice. “I’ll make you as comfortable as I can while we wait out the storm. And once we’re back, Phil and I will help you with the PTSD.” She searched his face for a reaction. She took his lack of denial as a sign to continue. “You’re not alone, Chris. And it’s not a weakness to ask for help.”

“You can’t help me, Thea. And neither can Phil.”

“How about you let us try? What do you have to lose?” Pike considered the question. “Chris, there is no shame in asking for help from your friends when you need it,” Alathea continued. “I know how hard this is for you but you need to let me in. I won’t hurt you.” Pike reached for Alathea’s hand. She knew this was the only acknowledgment she would get today. She squeezed his hand back in response. 

\-------------

“Lieutenant!” Landais called after Spock. “This path is blocked 100 meters in front of us,” the security officer reported, slightly out of breath.

Spock flicked his communicator open. “Spock to Enterprise!”

_ “Enterprise,”  _ came the voice of the bridge science officer.  _ “Already rerouting you,” _ the young officer informed her crewmates after receiving the data from Landais’ tricorder. The process was tedious. Without orbital scans, they had been relying on mapping the vast cave system by hand. 

Spock schooled his feature into his Vulcan mask before answering. Although most species believed that Vulcans didn’t feel emotions, it was not the case. His people still felt the same anger as the Tellarites, passion as the Andorians, and fascination as Humans did but they chose to not let them rule over their decisions. But right now, he was having troubles controlling his frustration and fear for this captain’s well-being. “Ensign Sim, may I suggest a different approach?”

_ “Spock, this is Number One,”  _ the newly promoted captain cut in.  _ “As you are perfectly aware, your solution would involve trying to access the original team’s tricorders. Per Starfleet orders, we are to minimize our influence on the Upothians and firing up a tricorder with all kinds of lights is not going to achieve this.” _

“Commander… Captain,” Spock corrected himself. “I believe we could do so without ‘firing up a tricorder with all kinds of lights’. We could use them in passive mode and measure the strength of the signals to our tricorders and that of Lieutenant Br’tar’s. This should give us an indication of the amount of solid rocks between all of us. The differences would be minute but we should be able to record them nonetheless.”

This statement was followed by a long pause. Spock could imagine Number One’s frown as she considered his proposition.  _ “Ensign Sim, work with Mr. Spock but you’re not to activate the original away team’s tricorder. Understood?” _

_ “Understood, sir,”  _ came Sim’s response. 

_ “Mister Spock, in the meantime, please have Johnson and Landais continue to explore the tunnels. It may be slow progress but it is progress nonetheless.” _

“Understood, Captain. And sir? How is the captain doing?”

_ “I think he would appreciate the secondary medical kit.” _

Spock understood the urgency behind Number One’s light tone. She didn’t want to cause a panic among the crew but they needed to hurry. “Aye, sir.”

\-----------------

Pike screamed as another wave of pain propagated through his body. He threw his head back, grinding his teeth in a futile attempt to suppress his cries but the motion only resulted in more pain from his leg. “Br’tar!” Alathea called the security officer.

The Masonian was already entering the infirmary, alerted by his captain’s screams. “What happened?,” he asked as he jogged towards the struggling duo. The doctor was attempting to restrain their captain but she was no match for his strength.

“His leg cramped up,” Alathea answered as soon as Br’tar took her place over Chris’ torso. “Keep him from moving more,” she ordered while massaging his calf. “Chris, try to relax, just take deep breaths, it will pass in just a minute.” Her reassurances were futile. Lost in his pain, Pike couldn’t hear her. 

“Doctor!” Both Br’tar and Mayweather jumped at the voice. “The secondary kit,” Spock insisted, handing Alathea the precious delivery.

In her haste, Alathea’s fingers slipped on the opening mechanism but as soon as she managed to open the kit, she silently thanked the medic’s mistake when preparing the secondary kit. Instead of the four vials she had expected to see, the kit had all of the eight medications typically contained in the primary kit, including tetrovaline. Although the powerful anesthetic would affect Pike’s immune response, Alathea did not hesitate. She filled the hypospray and injected Chris in the neck. The captain’s eyes rolled up and his body went limp on the operating table within a few seconds. Alathea gently caressed his forehead. “You’re going to be ok,” she whispered to her unconscious patient. She quickly switched the vial for the antibiotic and injected Pike again. 

“Doctor, what’s his situation?” Spock asked as soon as the doctor was finished with their captain.

“I gave him tetrovaline. He should be out for the next 3 to 4 hours. I’ll use that time to stabilize his leg. After that, we’ll have to rely on the analgesics. They will help but since I’ll have to ration them, they won’t fully take away his pain.”

“Why not keep him sedated until we can get back the Enterprise?” Johnson asked, still shaken from hearing his captain’s screams.

“Because tetrovaline depresses the immune response,” Spock answered in his usual matter-of-fact tone. “And the captain has a high fever, suggesting an infection.”

Mayweather nodded. “I’ll sedate him again before we move him to the pod closer to the landing site.”

“As far as the other necessities, we have plenty of water and food to last all four days but I suggest we ration them as well,” Spock continued. “We should take turns resting and, Doctor, you should let me have a look at your ribs.” Alathea’s startled look prompted Spock to clarify. “I have basic medical training in case I’m needed for a medical emergency. I can assist you.”

“Thank you… Mister Spock,” Alathea blurted out. “But we should first stabilize the captain.”

“A wise decision,” Spock conceded. “I can see why the captain trusts you with his life.”

Alathea blushed at the comment. She had hoped that her long relationship with Pike hadn’t been part of the usual starship gossip but she had obviously been mistaken. 


End file.
